Guatteria chiriquiensis R.E.Fr.

34. Guatteria chiriquiensis R.E.Fr. View in CoL — Fig. 24b View Fig , 25 View Fig ; Map 8

Guatteria chiriquiensis R.E.Fr. (1948b) 11. — Type: Pittier 5748 (holo US 4 sheets), Panama, Chiriquí,vicinity of San Felix ,eastern Chiriquí, 0–120 m, Sept. 1912.

Tree 5–25 m tall, 5–25 cm diam; young twigs slightly winged, densely covered with a velutinous indument of long-persisting, erect, brown hairs. Leaves: petiole 1–5 mm long, 1–2 mm diam; lamina narrowly oblong-elliptic, 13–32 by 3–7 cm (leaf index 3.5–4.2), chartaceous, not verruculose, dull, greyish green above, brown to greenish brown below, rather densely covered with erect, brown hairs above, densely covered with a velutinous indument of erect, brown hairs below, base acute to obtuse, sometimes slightly oblique, apex acuminate (acumen 5–25 mm long), primary vein flat apically, becoming distinctly raised basally above, secondary veins distinct, 13–15 on either side of primary vein, raised above, smallest distance between loops and margin 2–3 mm, tertiary veins raised above, reticulate. Flowers in 1–2(–3)-flowered inflorescences in axils of leaves or on leafless branchlets; pedicels 15–20 mm long, 1–2 mm diam, fruiting pedicels to c. 35 mm long, to c. 2 mm diam, densely covered with appressed and erect, brown hairs, articulated at 0.3–0.4 from the base, bracts 5–7, soon falling; flower buds depressed ovoid; sepals free, broadly ovate-triangular, 5–7 by 5–7{–9} mm, appressed, outer side densely covered with appressed, brown hairs; petals yellow or cream in vivo, broadly oblong-ovate to oblong-ovate, 10 –15{–25} by 10 –12{–15} mm, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs; stamens 1–2 mm long, connective shield glabrous. Monocarps 15–40, dark purple to black in vivo, black in sicco, ellipsoid, 7–10 by 3–5 mm, sparsely covered with appressed hairs, particularly near the apical part, apex apiculate (apiculum <0.5 mm long), wall 0.1–0.2 mm thick, stipes 5–8 by c. 1 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 6–8 by 3–4 mm, dark, shiny brown, smooth to pitted, raphe impressed.

Distribution — Costa Rica, Panama.

Habitat & Ecology — In forest. At elevations of 0– 500 m. Flowering: January, March, May, June, December; fruiting: August to October.

Vernacular name — Panama: Burillo (P.H. Allen 5217).

Note — Guatteria chiriquiensis is easily recognizable by its almost oblong leaves, its short petioles, and particularly by its primary vein which is raised on the upper side, the last feature very rarely seen in the genus. The basal leaf margins are mostly revolute.