Guatteria allenii R.E.Fr. — Plate, 1950

6. Guatteria allenii R.E.Fr. — Plate View in CoL 1d; Map 2

Guatteria allenii R.E.Fr.(1950a) 336. — Type: P.H. Allen 1900 (holo S; iso EAP, F,GH,MO,US), Panama, Coclé, North rim of El Valle de Antón , 9 July 1937.

Tree or rarely a shrub (1–) 4–12 m tall, 5–35 cm diam; young twigs densely covered with erect, brown hairs, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 2–7 mm long, 1–2 mm diam; lamina narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate, 10–21 by 3–8 cm (leaf index 2–3), chartaceous, not verruculose, dull, green to greenish brown above, green below, sparsely covered with appressed and erect hairs to glabrous above, rather densely covered with erect, brown hairs below, base acute, apex acuminate (acumen 5–20 mm long), primary vein flat to slightly raised above, secondary veins distinct, 8–12 on either side of primary vein, slightly raised above, smallest distance between loops and margin 1–2 mm, tertiary veins raised above, reticulate. Flowers in 1– 2-flowered inflorescences in axils of leaves or on leafless branchlets; flowering and fruiting pedicels 8–20 mm long, 0.5–1 mm diam, densely covered with appressed brown hairs, articulated at 0.2–0.3 from the base, bracts 4–6, soon falling, one uppermost bract seen, broadly elliptic, 5–7 mm long; flower buds depressed ovoid; sepals free, broadly ovate-triangular, 2–5 by 3–5 mm, reflexed, outer side densely covered with appressed, brown hairs; petals yellowish green, maturing canary yellow in vivo, oblong-ovate, 10–15{– 25} by 5–9{–15} mm, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs; stamens 1–2 mm long, connective shield hairy. Monocarps 25– 50, green, maturing dark purple to black in vivo, black in sicco, ellipsoid, 9–11 by 4–5 mm, sparsely covered with ap- pressed hairs, apex apiculate (apiculum <0.5 mm long), wall 0.1–0.2 mm thick, stipes 4–8 by c. 1 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 9 –10 by c. 4 mm, dark brown, rugose, raphe impressed.

Distribution — Panama.

Habitat & Ecology — In forest. At elevations of 700–1100 m. Flowering: February, May to July; fruiting: July, September to November.

Vernacular names — Not recorded.

Note — Guatteria allenii is very distinct by its canary yellow petals. In the herbarium it can at first glance be recognized by its greenish leaves, a feature rarely seen in Central American Guatteria .