Guatteria oblonga R.E.Fr.

106. Guatteria oblonga R.E.Fr. View in CoL

Guatteria oblonga R.E.Fr. (1939) 443, f. 19a, b. — Type: Melinon s.n. (holo P; iso B 2 sheets, RB), French Guiana, Maroni River (‘ Bords de la Rivière du Maroni’), anno 1862.

Tree or shrub of unknown height, diam not recorded;young twigs densely covered with erect, pale brown hairs to c. 1 mm long, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 4–7 mm long, 1.5–2 mm diam; lamina narrowly elliptic, 10–15 by 3–4.5 cm (leaf index 2.9– 3.4), chartaceous, not verruculose, slightly shiny and dark brown above, brown below, glabrous above, primary vein densely covered with appressed to erect, brown hairs below, elsewhere rather densely covered with appressed, brown hairs to c. 1 mm long below, base acute to attenuate, apex acuminate (acumen 5–10 mm long), primary vein flat to slightly impressed above, secondary veins indistinct, 10–12 on either side of primary vein, flat above, smallest distance between loops and margin 1.5–2 mm, tertiary veins inconspicuous, flat above, percurrent to reticulate. Flowers solitary in axils of leaves or perhaps also on leafless branchlets; pedicels 10–13 mm long, c. 1 mm diam, fruiting pedicels to c. 15 mm long, 2 mm diam, densely covered with erect (to appressed), brown hairs, articulated at c. 0.2 from the base, bracts c. 5, soon falling, not seen; flower buds not seen; sepals, only one seen, deltate, 4–5 by 3–4 mm, reflexed, outer side densely covered with erect, brown hairs [fide Fries], petals colour not recorded, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, 10–11 by 4–7 mm, outer side densely covered with erect, brown hairs; stamens not seen [1–1.2 mm long, connective shield papillate, umbonate – fide Fries]. Monocarps c. 50, blackish brown in sicco, ellipsoid, 8–9 mm long, c. 5 mm diam, glabrous, apex apiculate (apiculum c. 0.5 mm long), wall 0.1–0.2 mm thick, stipes 15–20 by 0.5–0.7 mm. Seed ellipsoid, c. 8 by 4.5 mm, dark brown, pitted, raphe not or slightly raised, distinct from rest of seed.

Distribution — French Guiana, only known from the type collection.

Note — Guatteria oblonga is characterized by leaves which are dark-coloured (in sicco) and with inconspicuous tertiary venation on the upper side, a rather dense cover of appressed brown hairs on the lower side and by pitted seeds. It seems to be without direct allies.