Tovomita clarkii Pipoly ex L. Marinho & Gahagen

11. Tovomita clarkii Pipoly ex L. Marinho & Gahagen View in CoL in Phytotaxa   GoogleMaps 261: 88. 2016 View Cited Treatment . – Holotype: Venezuela, Amazonas, Departamento de Río Negro   GoogleMaps , San Carlos de Río Negro   GoogleMaps , c. 20 km S of confluence of Río Negro and Brazo Casiquiare, 01°56'N, 67°03'W, 119 m, 27 Nov 1981, H. L. Clark & P. Maquirino 8291 (US [ US 00588617] photo!; isotype: INPA [no. 206429]!).

Description — Trees up to 6 m tall, prop roots not seen; exudate yellow. Petioles 1.6–2.2 cm long, transversely striate, coloration not seen, lenticels absent. Leaf blades 9.8–11.9 × 3–3.9 cm, brownish in sicco, strongly coriaceous, black dots absent, obovate to oblanceolate, base convex to decurrent, apex rounded sometimes retuse; papillae, lenticels and fungal spots absent; exudate canals inconspicuous adaxially, prominent abaxially as copper-coloured lines in sicco, crossing secondary veins. Venation: secondary veins 15–20 pairs, 3.3–6.7 mm apart from each other, forming angle c. 50° to midvein, prominent in both surfaces, straight near margin; intersecondary veins present, one per intercostal area, similar to secondary veins, parallel to major secondary,> 50 % of subjacent secondary length; tertiary veins inconspicuous; intramarginal vein present. Inflorescences: ♂ lax cyme with 3 basal branches and up to 9 flowers, ♀ dichasium, lenticels absent. Pedicels (7.1–) 11.3–12.3 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 6–7.5 mm long, spheroid, apex rounded, lenticels absent, not blackened in sicco. Sepals 2–4, 7–7.5 × 5–7.5 mm, oblong to circular, apex rounded, coloration not seen; petals 4, 6–8 × 3–6 mm, orbicular to oblong, apex rounded, position and coloration not seen. Staminate flowers: stamens c. 25, 4.5–5.5 mm long, isodynamous; filaments dorsiventrally compressed, coloration not seen; anthers 1.5–2 mm long, coloration not seen, connective not exceeding thecae; pistillode c. 1 mm long, conic, coloration not seen. Pistillate flowers not seen. Capsules fleshy, 1.1–1.6 × 1.5–1.6(–4.2) cm, 5-septate, ovoid when closed, 5-costate, rostrum present, 6–7 mm long, epicarp smooth, lenticels absent, light green when immature, mature fruits not seen, mesocarp reddish; sepals, petals, staminodes and stigmas persistent. Aril coloration not seen. Fig. 26A–E.

Distribution — Venezuela (Amazonas). Fig. 27.

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

Recognition and discussion — Tovomita clarkii has strongly coriaceous leaves and obovate to oblanceolate leaf blades with rounded or retuse apex ( Fig. 26A, B), a combination of characters that only occurs in this species. The species resembles T. calophyllophylla and T. nervosa , being distinguished from these two mainly by the smaller number of secondary veins (<20 vs> 24 pairs) and stamens (c. 25 vs 40). Other diagnostic characters are presented in the discussion of T. calophyllophylla and T. nervosa .

Specimens examined — VENEZUELA: AMAZONAS: Departamento de Río Negro, San Carlos de Río Negro, c. 20 km S of confluence Río Negro and Brazo Casiquiare , 01°56'N, 67°03'W, 119 m, average rainfall 3400–3600 mm /year, 15 May 1980, fr., H. L. Clark 7585 ( INPA!, GoogleMaps US photo!).