Guatteria scalarinervia D.R.Simpson

145. Guatteria scalarinervia D.R.Simpson View in CoL — Map 31

Guatteria scalarinervia D.R. Simpson (1975) View in CoL 306; Erkens et al. (2008) 507, f. 17, pl. 3; Maas & Westra (2011) 139. — Type: Reyna R. 40 (holo F; iso F, K, MAD, NY, P, WIS), Peru, Loreto, Prov. Maynas, Distr. Santa María, Río Nanay , 150 m, 15 Dec. 1967.

Guatteria sp. 3 Chatrou et al. (1997) 109.

Cauliflorous or rarely a ramiflorous tree 6 – 25 m tall, 5– 25 cm diam; young twigs rather densely covered with appressed hairs, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 15–25 mm long, 2–3 mm diam; lamina narrowly elliptic, 10–26 by 3.5–8 cm (leaf index 2.7–4), chartaceous, not verruculose or sometimes sparsely verruculose at least on parts of the leaves, dull above, dark greenish brown above, pale brown below, glabrous above, rather densely covered with appressed hairs below, base acute to abruptly attenuate, apex acuminate (acumen 5–20 mm long), primary vein impressed above, secondary veins distinct, 10–15 on either side of primary vein, impressed above, smallest distance between loops and margin 2–4 mm, tertiary veins inconspicuous, flat to slightly raised above, reticulate. Flowers in up to many-flowered clusters on the trunk; pedicels 20–35 mm long, 1–1.5 mm diam, fruiting pedicels to c. 40 mm long, to 2{–3} mm diam, densely to sparsely covered with appressed hairs, articulated at 0.2–0.5 from the base, bracts 6–7, soon falling, basal bracts broadly ovate, c. 1 mm long, 2 uppermost bracts narrowly obtrullate to narrowly obovate-elliptic, 10–12 by 4–5 mm; flower buds broadly ovoid; sepals free, broadly ovate-triangular, 4–7 by 4–7 mm, appressed, outer side rather densely to densely covered with appressed hairs; petals green, maturing yellow or cream in vivo, ovate, elliptic, to oblong-obovate, 12–20 by 7–12 mm, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs; stamens c. 1.5 mm long, connective shield glabrous. Monocarps 25– 50, green, maturing bluish black to black in vivo, brownish in sicco, ellipsoid, 15–21 by 7–11 mm, rather densely to sparsely covered with appressed hairs, apex apiculate (apiculum <1 mm long), wall 0.1–1 mm thick, stipes 10–25 by c. 1 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 15–18 by 7–9 mm, dark brown, longitudinally and transversely grooved, raphe not distinct from rest of seed.

Distribution — Amazonian Colombia (Caquetá), Ecuador (Carchi, Napo, Orellana, Sucumbíos), Peru (Loreto).

Habitat & Ecology — In non-inundated forest (one collection from periodically inundated tahuampa forest), on red, clayey to lateritic soil. At elevations of 200–1000 m. Flowering: April to June, August, October; fruiting: throughout the year.

Vernacular names — Colombia: Carguero (Murillo A. & Román 588). Ecuador: Dimonkawe (Huaorani name), Nagewe (Huaorani name) ( Naranjo & Freire 474), Pungara-caspi (Palacios & Neill 1120), Pungaramuyo (Palacios & Neill 1120), Uñitawe (Huaorani name) (Freire & Naranjo 481).

Notes — Guatteria scalarinervia is the only cauliflorous tree species of the genus known to occur in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru so far. Moreover, it can be recognized by relatively long petioles and stipes.

Although this species has been treated as a member of sect. Mecocarpus (Maas et al. 2011), verruculae are not always evident in leaves on different collections, or are only clearly seen in part of the leaves in a specimen.

See also the note under G. longicuspis .