Guatteria pakaraimae Scharf & Maas

16. Guatteria pakaraimae Scharf & Maas View in CoL

Guatteria pakaraimae Scharf & Maas (in Scharf et al. 2005) 568, f. 3.— Type: Henkel et al. 4279 (holo NY; iso BRG, U, US), Guyana, Pakaraima Mts, W slope on subplateau near head of Mo-toy-baru Creek, 1150–1200 m, 11 Nov. 1993.

Tree 12–13 m tall, diam not recorded; young twigs glabrous. Leaves: petiole 4 –9 mm long, c. 2 mm diam; lamina elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 9– 20 by 4– 6 cm (leaf index 2.7– 3.3), coriaceous, rather densely verruculose, somewhat shiny, greyish cream above, rusty brown below, glabrous above, covered with some scattered, appressed hairs below, base acute, apex shortly acuminate (acumen 5 –15 mm long), primary vein impressed above, secondary veins indistinct, 8 –10 on either side of primary vein, raised above, smallest distance between loops and margin 3 – 4 mm; tertiary veins reticulate, slightly raised above. Flowers solitary in axils of leaves; pedicels 50– 60 mm long, c. 1 mm diam, finely longitudinally grooved, fruiting pedicels c. 70 mm long, c. 1.5 mm diam, glabrous, articulated at c. 0.1 from the base, bracts c. 5, soon falling, not seen; flower buds not seen; sepals broadly ovate-triangular, c. 3 by 3 – 4 mm, appressed, outer side subglabrous; petals green in vivo, ovate-oblong, 10–12 by 5 mm, outer base side densely covered with appressed, wavy hairs, towards the apex sparsely covered with very short, curly hairs; stamens c. 2 mm long, connective shield densely hairy. Monocarps c. 10, green in vivo, shiny black in sicco, ellipsoid to obovoid, 13–15 by 6 –7 mm, glabrous, apex often apiculate (apiculum < 0.5 mm long), wall 0.2– 0.3 mm thick, stipes 1–2 by 2 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 12–13 by 6–7 mm, shiny, reddish brown, strongly grooved and tuberculate (‘rugulose’).

Distribution — Guyana (Pakaraima Mts).

Habitat & Ecology — In cloud forest on sandstone, sand or grey sandy clay with thick layer of organic matter and peat (together with various woody plants including Annonaceae , Araliaceae , Arecaceae , Clusia , Euterpe, Melastomatacae , Moronobea ). At elevations of 1135–1200 m. Flowering: November; fruiting: July.

Vernacular names — None.

Other specimen examined. GUYANA, Potaro-Siparuni Region, Mt Wokomung , 1135 m, Clarke et al. 10861 ( U, US).

Note — Guatteria pakaraimae is a striking species by its very long and small pedicels up to 70 mm long in fruit, an indistinct secondary leaf venation and shortly stipitate monocarps with stipes only 1– 2 mm long.