Tovomita caudata L. Marinho

10. Tovomita caudata L. Marinho View in CoL in Willdenowia 49: 344. 2019. – Holotype: Peru, Loreto, Río Mamón [Momón] near Nanay   GoogleMaps , 03°41'27"S, 73°15'56"W, 1 Sep 1972, T. B. Croat 19887 (MO [ MO1593390 ] photo!; isotypes: CAS [no. 649489]!, GH!, NY [ NY02859725 ]!).

Description — Trees up to 8 m tall, prop roots and exudate not seen. Petiole 0.7–1 cm long, smooth, coloration not seen. Leaf blades 4.4–8.2 × 1.6–3.2 cm, greenish in sicco, subcoriaceous, black dots absent, elliptic to oblong, base decurrent, apex strongly acuminate with drip tip, drip tip 0.6–1.2 cm long; papillae, lenticels and fungal spots absent; exudate canals prominent adaxially, immersed abaxially, parallel to secondary veins. Venation: secondary veins 18–26 pairs, 1.5–3 mm apart from each other, forming angle 70°–75° to midvein, prominent adaxially, immersed abaxially, straight near margin; intersecondary veins present, two or more per intercostal area, similar to secondary veins,> 50 % of subjacent secondary length; tertiary veins inconspicuous; intramarginal vein present. Inflorescences: ♂ lax cyme with 3 basal branches and up to 21 flowers, lacking terminal flower, ♀ not seen, lenticels absent. Pedicels 6–11 mm long, coloration not seen, distal and proximal portion with same gauge, proximally articulated on lateral flowers of dichasia, calyptrae and lenticels absent. Floral buds 2–4 mm long, ovoid, apex rounded, lenticels absent, not blackened in sicco. Sepals 4, 2–4 × 2.3–3.5 mm, ovate, apex rounded, green; petals 4, 3–4 × 0.9–1.1 mm, oblong to linear, patent, apex rounded, coloration not seen. Staminate flowers: stamens c. 23, 2.3–2.8 mm long, heterodynamous; filaments terete, coloration not seen; anthers 0.4–0.5 mm long, yellow, connective not exceeding thecae; pistillode c. 0.2 mm long, conic, coloration not seen. Pistillate flowers and fruits not seen.

Iconography — Illustration available in Marinho & al. (2019b: 345).

Distribution — Brazil (Amazonas), Peru (Loreto). Fig. 25.

Conservation status — Data Deficient (DD, Marinho & Beech 2019).

Recognition and discussion — Tovomita caudata can be easily recognized, even when sterile, by the small leaves with a long acuminate apex with drip tip (0.6–1.2 cm long). The species differs from T. amazonica by the subcoriaceous vs chartaceous to membranaceous leaves with 18–26 (vs 13–18) pairs of secondary veins. Also, the adaxial leaf surfaces are similar to those of T. calophyllophylla and T. colombiana by the presence of two or more intersecondary veins per intercostal area, giving the leaf blades an aspect similar to those of Calophyllum L. ( Calophyllaceae ). Tovomita caudata can also be distinguished from the two latter species by the long acuminate leaf apex.

Specimen examined — BRAZIL: AMAZONAS: Carauari, Rio Juruá , Poço Munguba-1 (MG-1) da Petrobrás, a 32 km do Gavião ES-50, 24 Oct 1980, P . Lisboa & al. 1614 (MG!).