Guatteria pastazae R.E.Fr.

17. Guatteria pastazae R.E.Fr. View in CoL

Guatteria pastazae R.E.Fr. (1947) 5, t. 2; Erkens et al. (2008) 505, f. 16, pl. 1. — Type: Lugo R. 191 (holo S; iso US), Ecuador, Pastaza, Mera , c. 600 m, 4 Apr. 1940.

Tree 4 – 28 m tall, 8 – 20 cm diam; young twigs densely to sparsely covered with appressed hairs, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 3 –12 mm long, 2 – 3 mm diam; lamina narrowly oblong-elliptic to narrowly oblong-obovate or narrowly ovate, 10– 27 by 3 –8 cm (leaf index 2.5– 4.6), coriaceous to chartaceous, rather densely to sparsely verruculose, greyish green, greyish brown or brown above, pale to dark brown below, glabrous above except for some scattered hairs along primary and secondary veins above, sparsely covered with appressed hairs below, base attenuate, basal margins often somewhat rolled inwards, apex acuminate (acumen 10–15 mm long), primary vein impressed to flat above, slightly keeled below, secondary veins rather indistinct, 12–17 on either side of primary vein, slightly raised above, smallest distance between loops and margin 1–5 mm. Flowers in 1- (or 3-)flowered inflorescences mostly in axils of leaves or on branchlets after leaf shedding; pedicels 3 –15 mm long, 1–2.5 mm diam, fruiting pedicels up to 25 mm long, up to 3 mm diam, densely to rather densely covered with appressed, brown hairs, articulated at 0.2– 0.3 from the base, bracts 5 – 6, soon falling and leaving prominent scars on lower pedicel, c. 7 by 3 mm (only 1 seen); flower buds ovoid; sepals basally connate to free, broadly elliptic-ovate, 4–10 by 5 – 8 mm, appressed, but soon becoming patent to finally reflexed, outer side densely covered with appressed, brown hairs; petals green to greenish yellow and slightly tinged with red in vivo, elliptic-oblong to elliptic-obovate, the outer ones 12–15{–25} by 6–7 mm, the inner ones 18– 20{–28} by 6 –12 mm, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs; stamens 1.5 – 2 mm long, connective shield finely papillate-hairy. Monocarps 10– 30, green, maturing purple in vivo, black in sicco, ellipsoid, 11–15{–20} by 7–9{–15} mm, longitudinally wrinkled in sicco, sparsely covered with appressed hairs to glabrous, apex acute to apiculate (apiculum < 0.5 mm long), wall 0.5–1{–4} mm thick, stipes 1– 3(–10) by 1.5 – 2 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 10–15 by 6 – 8 mm, pale brown, slightly to strongly rugose (in sicco) to slightly foveolate (in vivo).

Distribution — Ecuador ( Morona-Santiago, Pastaza, Zamora-Chinchipe), Peru ( Cajamarca, San Martín) and Brazil (Amazonas).

Habitat & Ecology — In premontane and montane forest,rarely in lowland rainforest, on soils derived from sandstone substrate or on red clay.At elevations of 0–1800(–2200) m. Flowering: November to May, August; fruiting: July to March.

Vernacular names — Peru: Palo yais, Wampu yais ( Ancuash 469), Yais ( Rojas et al. 150).

Additional specimen examined. BRAZIL, Amazonas, Reserva Florestal Ducke , km 26 of Manaus-Itacoatiara Road , 8 Aug. 1995, Sothers et al. 540 ( INPA, U) .

Notes — Guatteria pastazae can be recognized by having verruculose leaves with obscure venation and by an attenuate leaf base, combined with shortly pedicellate flowers and shortly stipitate monocarps.

Guatteria pastazae shows some features of G. modesta Diels but it differs by its much shorter stipes (stipes shorter than to almost equalling monocarp length) vs stipes longer than monocarp.

After the publication of Erkens et al. (2008) the present authors investigated a specimen collected a long distance from Ecuador and Peru, namely Sothers et al. 540 from the lowlands of Amazonian Brazil, near Manaus. As that collection nicely fitted in all essential features (inconspicuous leaf venation, wrinkled fruits, etc.) with G. pastazae we have placed it there.

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