Eschweilera parviflora (Aubl.) Miers

  • Authority

    Mori, S. A. & Prance, Ghillean T. 1990. Lecythidaceae - Part II: The zygomorphic-flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). With a study of secondary xylem of Neotropical Lecythidaceae by Carl de Zeeuw. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 21: 1-376. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Lecythidaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Eschweilera parviflora (Aubl.) Miers

  • Type

    Type. French Guiana. Without locality, no date (fl), Aublet s.n. (lectotype, BM, photo NY-NY neg. 408, here designated; isolectotypes, P, photo of P at NY, S).

  • Synonyms

    Lecythis parviflora Aubl., Eschweilera grata Sandwith, Eschweilera montana A.C.Sm.

  • Description

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    Description - Understory, less frequently, canopy trees, to 30 m tall, usually unbuttressed. Bark nearly smooth, often with vertically disposed lenticels and very shallow cracks, often with maroon cast, the inner bark white to yellowish-white. Leaf blades elliptic, 7.5-15.5(-21) x 2.5-7.5 cm, glabrous, often with abaxial reddish-brown punctae, chartaceous, with (7-) 10-13 pairs of lateral veins; apex acuminate; base acute to obtuse; margins entire; petiole 5-10 mm long. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, unbranched racemes or paniculate once-branched arrangement of racemes, the principal rachis 2-7.5 cm long, slender, 1-2 mm thick, glabrous to puberulous, the pedicel 8-10 mm long. Flowers 2-2.5 cm diam.; calyx with six lobes, the lobes widely to very widely ovate, 2.5-6 x 2-5.5 mm, erect to spreading, imbricate, convex abaxially, flat to concave adaxially, sometimes gibbous at base; petals six, widely obovate, yellow; hood of androecium 10-11 x 10-12 mm, with distinct double coil; staminal ring asymmetric, with 70-80 stamens, the filaments 1-1.2 mm long, not clavate, white, the anthers 0.4 mm long, yellow; hypanthium constricted into well-defined pedicel; ovary 2-locular, each locule with 3-8 basally attached ovules. Fruits small, cup-shaped, the calycine ring inserted slightly above middle, 1.5-2 x 2-3.0 cm (excluding operculum), the pericarp 2-3 mm thick; operculum convex, with slight indication of umbo. Seeds with lateral aril.

  • Discussion

    According to Bernardi {coll. no. 2135) the hard and heavy wood of this species splits into fine shingles used in local construction.

    Eschweilera parviflora is characterized by chartaceous leaves often with abaxial punctae; slender rachises of inflorescences, usually 1-2 mm thick; petals and androecial hood yellow; and small, cup-shaped fruits.

    An exception is the type of E. montana which is said to have white petals and androecia. Nevertheless, this collection matches E. parviflora in other aspects and is maintained here until further collections prove differently.

  • Common Names

    cacaíto, majaguillo, Matamatá

  • Distribution

    A small to medium-sized tree usually of non-flooded forest distributed in the Guiana region of South America (N of the Amazon, E of the Rio Negro, and S of the Orinoco). Within this region, however, it has not yet been collected from Surinam and from most of Amapa and Para, Brazil. It flowers from Aug to Mar in various parts of its range.

    Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| French Guiana South America| Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|