Guatteria sp. 1

176. Guatteria sp. 1

Tree 20–25 m tall, c. 45 cm diam; young twigs glabrous. Leaves: petiole 5–10 mm long, 1–1.5 mm diam; lamina narrowly elliptic, 11–16 by 4–5 cm (leaf index 2.2–3.5), chartaceous, not or weakly verruculose, shiny, brown to greyish brown above, brown to greyish below, glabrous above, sparsely covered with appressed hairs to glabrous below, base acute to attenuate, apex acuminate (acumen 5–10 mm long), primary vein im- pressed above, distinctly keeled or not below, secondary veins indistinct, 10–15 on either side of primary vein, slightly raised above, smallest distance between loops and margin 2–7 mm, tertiary veins slightly raised above, reticulate. Flowers only seen in fruiting stage, in 1– 2-flowered inflorescences in axils of leaves; fruiting pedicels 6–20 mm long, 1.5–3 mm diam, glabrous, articulated at 0.3–0.5 from the base, bracts 5–6, soon falling, not seen. Monocarps 10–30, green, maturing black in vivo, black in sicco, ellipsoid, 10–13 by 5–6 mm, sparsely covered with appressed hairs, soon glabrous, apex apiculate (apiculum <1 mm long), wall 0.1–0.3 mm thick, stipes 7–12 by 0.5–1 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 9–10 by 4–6 mm, brown, weakly pitted, raphe slightly raised or not distinct from rest of seed.

Distribution — Brazil (Amazonas, Pará).

Habitat & Ecology — In periodically inundated várzea forest.

At elevations of about sea level. Flowering: unknown; fruiting:

October. Vernacular names — Not recorded.

Other specimens examined. BRAZIL, Amazonas, Rio Javarí, Tambaqui , 18 Oct. 1976, Prance et al. 23894 ( INPA, U) . Pará, Ilha do Marajó, Rio Jipuru , 24 Oct. 1987, Tavares et al. 266 ( U) .

Note — This material, restricted to várzea forests, posssibly represents an undescribed species, characterized by completely glabrous young twigs. As flower material is still lacking we refrained from naming it.