Tovomita grata Sandwith

26. Tovomita grata Sandwith View in CoL in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1936: 216. 1936. – Holotype: Guyana, Simuni creek , Rapununi river, on gravelly soil on low hill, in miscellaneous forest, Aug 1931, Davis (D152) 2143 (K [ K000488509 ]!).

Description — Trees up to 15 m tall, prop roots conspicuous; exudate yellow, scarce. Petioles 0.7–2.5 cm long, green, smooth, lenticels absent. Leaf blades 4.5–14.5 × 2.1–7 cm, greenish adaxially and brown-orangish abaxially in sicco, black dots absent, subcoriaceous, elliptic to obovate, base convex to decurrent, apex rounded to acuminate; fungal spots sometimes present, papillae and lenticels absent; exudate canals inconspicuous. Venation: secondary veins 11–14 pairs, 4–7 mm apart from each other, forming angle 65°–75° to midvein, prominent in both surfaces, arcuate near margin; intersecondary veins present, one or two per intercostal area, slightly thinner than secondary veins, distal course reticulating,> 50 % of subjacent secondary length; tertiary veins inconspicuous; intramarginal vein present. Inflorescences: ♂ lax cyme with 3 basal branches and up to 9 flowers, lacking terminal flower, ♀ single flower or dichasium, lenticels absent. Pedicels 10–13 mm long, green, distal and proximal portion with same gauge, proximally articulated on lateral flowers of dichasia, sometimes also in central flower; calyptrae and lenticels absent. Floral buds 7–11.5 mm long, ovoid, apex apiculate, lenticels absent. Sepals 4, 6.5–9 × 5.5–8 mm, ovate to oblong, apex rounded to apiculate, green; petals 4, 7.2–12 × 3–4 mm, oblong, inner ones strongly patent, apex rounded, white. Staminate flowers: stamens 55–60, 4.2–7 mm long, heterodynamous; filaments terete, white; anthers c. 1 mm long, connective not exceeding thecae; pistillode conic. Pistillate flowers: staminodes 45–55, 4–4.5 mm long, white; ovary 3–5 mm long, not costate or lobed, 4-locular, white, styles 2–3.5 mm long, stigmas 4, 1.8–2 mm in diam. Capsules fleshy, 4–5.2 × 2–2.5 cm, 4-septate, pyriform to turbinate when closed, not costate or lobed, rostrum present, 5–7 mm long, epicarp smooth, green when immature and mature, mesocarp red; sepals, petals, staminodes and stigmas persistent. Aril orange.

Distribution — Brazil (Amazonas, Pará, Roraima), Guyana (Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica), Suriname (Sipaliwini), Venezuela (Amazonas). Fig. 44.

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

Recognition and discussion — Tovomita grata is very similar to T. umbellata , due to the number of secondary veins (11–14 vs 10–16 pairs, forming angle 65°–75° to the midvein). Tovomita grata can be distinguished from T. umbellata by the inflorescence arrangement (cyme with 3 basal branches and up to 9 flowers vs cyme with 5 basal branches and up to c. 150 flowers in T. umbellata ), and floral buds size (7–11.5 mm vs 5.5–7 mm long in T. umbellata ). Tovomita grata is also similar to T. eggersii , but the fruit epicarp in T. eggersii is asperous (vs smooth in T. grata ).

Selected specimens examined — BRAZIL: AMAZONAS: Manaus , Reserva Florestal Ducke, Mar 1997, fr., J. E. L. S . Ribeiro & E. C . Pereira 1882 ( GH!, INPA!, NY!) . PARÁ: Oriximiná , Porto Trombetas, 8 Nov 1985, bud fl. ♀, M. S . Mensandro 66 ( CVRD!) . RORAIMA: Serra dos Surucucus, 02°42–47' N , 63°33–36'W, 19 Feb 1969, fl. ♀, G. T . Prance & al. 10106 ( INPA!) . — GUYANA: Groete creek, lower Essequibo river, 21 Jun 1944, fl. ♀ fr., F1985 or 4721 (A!, NY!, P!). — SURINAME: SIPALIWINI: Sectie 0, heuvel km 69, Feb 1944, Stahel 165 ( A!, B!, IAN!) . — VENEZUELA: AMAZONAS: Caño Marieta, 3 Mar 1976, sterile, Colchester 2284 ( K!) .