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!) .