Tovomita acutiflora M. S. Barros & G. Mariz

1. Tovomita acutiflora M. S. Barros & G. Mariz View in CoL in Acta Amazon. 12: 291. 1982. – Holotype: Brazil, Amazonas , Manaus, margem do Igarapé da Cachoeira Alta do Tarumã, Jun 1955, J. Chagas s.n. (IAN [ IAN092095 About IAN ]!; isotype: INPA [no. 1136]!).

Description — Trees up to 30 m tall, prop roots conspicuous; exudate yellow, abundant. Petioles 0.9–2.2 cm long, smooth, green, lenticels usually present. Leaf blades 9.2– 18.2(–25.5) × 3.6–5.2(–9.7) cm, copper-coloured in sicco, black dots absent, chartaceous, broadly elliptic to oblong, base convex to decurrent, apex convex to acuminate; papillae and lenticels absent, fungal spots usually present in both surfaces; exudate canals inconspicuous. Venation: secondary veins 20–30 pairs, 3–6.5 mm apart from each other, forming angle 50°–60° to midvein, prominent abaxially, rarely prominent adaxially, straight near margin; intersecondary veins present, one per intercostal area, similar to secondary ones, parallel to major secondary,> 50 % of subjacent secondary length; tertiary veins inconspicuous; intramarginal vein present. Inflorescences: ♂ lax cyme with 5 basal branches and up to 60 flowers, with terminal flower, ♀ a dichasium, lenticels usually present. Pedicels 9–24 mm long, green, distal and proximal portion with same gauge, proximally articulated on lateral flowers of dichasia, bracts free from each other, lenticels usually present. Floral buds 5.5–9(–13) mm long, oblong, apex acute to rounded, lenticels usually present, not blackened in sicco. Sepals 2, 5.5–9 × 5–6.5 mm, oblong, apex rounded, greenish; petals 4, 12–13 × 3–6.5 mm, oblong, deflexed, apex acute to rounded, white. Staminate flowers: stamens 50–70, 4.7–5.5 mm long, isodynamous; filaments terete, white; anthers 0.3–0.6 mm long, connective not exceeding thecae; pistillode 1.5 mm long, with 5 white rudimentary stigmas. Pistillate flowers: staminodes 50–70, 4.5–6.5 mm long, white; ovary c. 3 mm long, slightly costate, 5-locular, white, styles free, 4–5 mm long, stigmas 5, c. 1 mm in diam. Capsules fleshy, 1.8–2.7 × 1–2.5 cm, 5-septate, napiform to spheroid when closed, slightly angular, rostrum absent, free styles 5.5–6.5 mm long, epicarp smooth, lenticels sometimes present, green when immature, green-yellowish when mature, mesocarp red; sepals, petals, staminodes and stigmas persistent. Aril red to orangish. Fig. 15.

Iconography — Illustration available in Barros & Mariz (1982: 292).

Distribution — Brazil (Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia), Colombia (Meta), and Venezuela (Amazonas, Bolívar). Fig. 16.

Conservation status — Least Concern (LC, Marinho & Beech 2019).

Recognition and discussion — The type collection of Tovomita acutiflora shows lenticels on young branches, leaves, inflorescence, and floral buds, which is common in the species. Staminate specimens typically bear narrowly ovoid floral buds with acute apex ( Fig. 15D), while the pistillate floral buds are slightly wider with a rounded apex ( Fig. 15E). Tovomita acutiflora can be distinguished from T. tenuiflora by the number of secondary veins (20– 30 pairs vs c. 35 pairs in T. tenuiflora ), and terete stamens (vs filiform-terete in T. tenuiflora ). Tovomita acutiflora was named as “ Tovomita sp. E ” in the Flora of Venezuelan Guyana ( Cuello 1998).

Selected specimens examined — BRAZIL: AMAPÁ: Oiapoque , BR156 , road between Calçoene and Oiapoque , 03°00'N, 51°30'W, 6 Dec 1984, fr., B. V GoogleMaps . Rabelo & R . Cardoso 2901 ( MG!) ; AMAZONAS: Manaus, Reserva Floresta Adolpho Ducke , estrada principal em direção aos alojamentos, 15 Feb 2017, fl. ♀, L. C . Marinho & al. 1344 ( HUEFS!) ; PARÁ: Melgaço , FLONA de Caxiuanã, área da estação científica Ferreira Penna , 23 Jul 2007, fl. ♂, M. M . Félix-da-Silva & al. 342 ( MG!) ; RONDÔNIA: Porto Velho, margem direito do Rio Madeira , 09°23'20"S, 64°50'49"W, 24 Jun 2010, fr., G GoogleMaps . Pereira-Silva & al. 15479 ( NY!, RON photo!) . — COLOMBIA: META: Sabanas de San Juan de Arama , c. 500 m, 5–20 Dec 1950, fr., J. M . Idrobo & R. E . Schultes 710 ( GH!) . — VENEZUELA: AMAZONAS: a lo largo del camino entre Yavita y Pimichín , 02°55'N, 67°25– 30' W , 21 Apr 1970, fr., J. A . Steyermark & G . Bunting 102899 ( NY!) ; BOLÍVAR: Gran Sabana, selva de galeria a lo largo de las cabeceras del Río Pacairao , 1100 m, 21 Feb 1978, fr., J. A . Steyermark & al. 115563 ( NY!) .