Guatteria odorata R.E.Fr.

108. Guatteria odorata R.E.Fr. View in CoL — Map 23

Guatteria odorata R.E.Fr. (1939) 531, t. 38. — Type: Ducke MG 15722 = RB 35316 (holo S; iso RB), Brazil, Pará , Óbidos, 16 Mar. 1915.

Tree of unknown height ( ‘arbor parva’), diam not recorded; young twigs densely covered with appressed, brown hairs, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 2–4 mm long, 0.5–1 mm diam; lamina narrowly elliptic, 5–6 by 1.5–2.5 cm (leaf index 2.5–4), chartaceous, not verruculose, shiny, dark brown above, brown below, glabrous above, but rather densely to sparsely covered with erect hairs mainly along primary vein, rather densely covered with appressed hairs to c. 1 mm long below, base attenuate, apex shortly and bluntly acuminate (acu- men to c. 5 mm long), primary vein impressed to flat above, secondary veins distinct, 5 –10 on either side of primary vein, raised above, smallest distance between loops and margin 1–3 mm, tertiary veins raised above, reticulate. Flowers solitary in axils of leaves; pedicels c. 20 mm long, c. 1 mm diam, rather densely to sparsely covered with appressed hairs, articulated at 0.2–0.3 from the base, bracts 5–6, soon falling, not seen; flower buds not seen; sepals free, broadly ovate-triangular, 4–5 by 4–5 mm, soon reflexed, outer side rather densely covered with appressed hairs; petals yellowish in vivo, elliptic to obovate to narrowly so, 15–20 by 5–10 mm, outer side densely covered with appressed and erect, curly hairs; stamens c. 1 mm long, connective shield papillate. Monocarps and seed not seen.

Distribution — Amazonian Brazil (Pará).

Habitat & Ecology — In secondary forest. At an elevation of c. 50 m. Flowering: March; fruiting: unknown.

Vernacular name — Brazil: Envira-preta (Ducke MG 15722).

Field observations — Ducke noted down that the flowers of this species are strongly fragrant (‘odoratissimis’).

Note — Guatteria odorata is recognizable by very small leaves (5–6 cm long) covered with long, appressed hairs below, and by small sepals (4–5 mm long). Additional material, particularly of fruits, is necessary to understand its proper position within the genus.