Tovomita eggersii Vesque, Epharmosis

18. Tovomita eggersii Vesque, Epharmosis View in CoL 3: 19. 1892. – Lectotype (designated here): Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad, in silvis ad fluminem Caroni , Oct 1883, H. F. A. Eggers (ed. A. Toepffer) 1073 (K [ K000488475 ]!; isolectotypes: G [ G00355100 ] photo!, JE [ JE00004784 ] photo!, M [ M0112311 ]!, M [ M0112312 ]!, W [no. W-1889- 0098160]!).

Description — Trees up to 13 m tall, prop roots conspicuous; exudate yellow, abundant. Petioles 1–1.6 cm long, green, smooth, lenticels absent. Leaf blades 4.2–10.5 × 1.7–5.6 cm, greenish adaxially, brownish abaxially in sicco, black dots absent, coriaceous, obovate to elliptic, base decurrent, apex acuminate; papillae, lenticels and fungal spots absent; exudate canals inconspicuous. Venation: secondary veins 12–18 pairs, 4–8 mm apart from each other, forming angle 70°–75° to midvein, immersed adaxially, prominent abaxially, arcuate and connecting near margin; intersecondary veins present, two per intercostal area, thinner than secondary veins, distal course reticulating,> 50 % of subjacent secondary length; tertiary veins percurrent; intramarginal vein present. Inflorescences: ♂ lax cyme with 3 basal branches and up to 9 flowers, lacking terminal flower, ♀ dichasium, lenticels absent. Pedicels 13–16 mm long, green, distal and proximal portion with same gauge, proximally articulated on lateral flower of dichasia; calyptrae and lenticels absent. Floral buds 5.5–7 mm long, ovoid, apex apiculate, lenticels absent. Sepals 2–4, 5.5–7 × 6–7 mm, ovate, apex apiculate to rounded, greenish; petals 4, 8–8.5 × 4.5–6.8 mm, oblong, patent, apex rounded, white. Staminate flowers: stamens 40–50, 4.5–6 mm long, heterodynamous; filaments terete, white; anthers 0.8–1 mm long, connective not exceeding thecae; pistillode not seen. Pistillate flowers not seen. Capsules fleshy, 2.3–4.3 × 1.2– 1.9 cm, 4-septate, ellipsoid when closed, not costate or lobed, rostrum absent, free styles 4–5.5 mm long, epicarp asperous, green when immature and mature, mesocarp red; sepals, petals and staminodes caducous, stigmas and styles persistent. Aril orangish-red.

Iconography — Illustration available in Cuello (1998: fig. 227).

Distribution — Trinidad and Tobago (Arima, Couva / Tabaquite / Talparo, Diego Martin, Mayaro / Rio Claro, San Juan / Laventille, Sangre Grande, Tunapurma/ Piarco), Venezuela (Aragua, Carabobo, Miranda, Sucre, Vargas, Yaracuy). Fig. 34.

Conservation status — Not Evaluated (NE).

Recognition and discussion — The leaves of Tovomita eggersii are also similar to those of T. umbellata , but these two species may be distinguishable when in flower and/or fruits. Tovomita eggersii presents 40–50 stamens (vs 20–35 in T. umbellata ) and fruits with asperous epicarp (vs smooth in T. eggersii ).

Selected specimens examined — TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: TRINIDAD: Tunapurma / Piarco: El Tucuche trail, 2 Aug 1976, bud, C . D. Adams 14090 ( NY!) . — VENEZUELA: ARAGUA: Rancho Grande, 8 Jul 1938, fl. ♂, L . Williams 10252 ( A!). CARABOBO: Limite Distrito Bejuma / Distrito Montalbán , Cordillera de la Costa, 10°15'N, 68°17'W, 1 Jan 2007, fr., W GoogleMaps . Meier & N . Flauger 14198 ( B!). MIRANDA: Distrito Páez, drainage of Río Guapo , Cerro Riberón, 8–10 Jun 1977, fr., G . Davidse & A . C . González 13773 ( NY!). SUCRE: Península de Paria , Cerro Espejo, 6 Aug 1966, bud, J . A . Steyermark & M . Rabe 96058 ( NY!). YARACUY: Distrito Nirgua y Distrito San Felipe, Serranía Santa Maria-Cerro de La Chapa , 10°12'N, 68°33'W, 30– 31 Dec 1992, fr., W GoogleMaps . Meier 3222 ( B!) .