flora neotropica - CNCFlora

76
on both surfaces, glabrous; primary veins 6-8
pairs, almost plane on both surfaces; petioles 10-
12 mm long, glabrous, shallowly canaliculate.
Stipules not seen. Inflorescences of pendulous
panicles on long peduncles up to 75 cm, the rachis
and branches glabrous, branches small and
numerous. Bracts and bracteoles 0.5-1.5 mm
long, acute, glabrous except for the sparsely ciliate
margins, subpersistent. Receptacle campanulate,
the tube 4-6 mm long when mature, contracted
into pedicels 10-15 mm long, glabrous
within and without. Calyx lobes five, rounded,
Flora Neotropica
Additional specimens examined. VENEZUELA.
BOLIVAR: Reserva Forestal Imataca, Rio Cuyuni Sector
Caiio Negro, 15 Jan 1983 (fl), Stergios et al. 4991 (MO,
NY); El Dorado, 3 May 1957 (fl), Couret 243 (US).
647.1. Couepia nutans Prance, Brittonia 31: 248,
fig. 1. 1979. Type. Colombia. El Valle: Alto
Yunda, Rio Anchicaya, 1000 m, May 1973
(fl), HiltyA-1 (holotype, US; isotypes, NY, UC).
Tree to 25 m, the young branches sparsely pu-
berulous, soon becoming glabrous. Leaf lamina
elliptic, coriaceous, 13-16 x 5-7.5 cm, rounded
at the base, acuminate at the apex, the acumen
4-5 mm long, glabrous above, densely arach-
noid-pubescent beneath; midrib prominulous
above, prominent beneath; primary veins 17-19
pairs, plane above, prominent beneath; petioles
5-8 mm long, weakly canaliculate above, pu-
unequal, two considerably longer than the other
three, sparsely puberulous when young, the margins
ciliate, the exterior with two sessile conspicuous
glands. Petals five, glabrous, caducous,
red. Stamens 16-21, unilateral, with ca. eight
tooth-like staminodes opposite to them. Ovary
sparsely villous. Style glabrous. Fruit obpyri- berulous, with two glands. Stipules caducous, not
form, 4.5 cm long, 3.5 cm wide at broadest point seen. Inflorescences of terminal and axillary panwhich
is well below mid-point, exocarp smooth, icles to 7 cm long, the rachis and branches with
glabrous; mesocarp thick, hard, fibrous; endo- short light brown tomentellous pubescence. Bracts
carp thin and bony.
ovate, membranous, ca. 5 mm long, caducous;
Distribution (Fig. 101). Western Amazonia in bracteoles oblong, 2-3 mm long, puberulous on
the Peru-Brazil frontier region.
exterior, membranous, subpersistent. Receptacle
Habitat. Forest on terra firme.
subcylindrical, ca. 5 mm long, shortly tomentellous
on the exterior, glabrous within except for
Additional specimens examined. PERU. LORETO:
Maynas, nr. Brilla Nueva, Rio Yaguasyacu, 8 Nov 1977
deflexed hairs at the throat. Calyx lobes five,
(fr), Gentry & Revilla 20385 (MO, NY); Quebrada Su- rounded, tomentellous. Petals five, white, glacusari,
N side of Rio Napo below Mazan, 6 Nov 1979 brous except for the ciliate margins. Stamens ca.
(fr), Gentry et al. 27591 (MO, NY).
16, inserted in a complete circle. Ovary villous.
BRAZIL. AMAZONAS: Rio Javari, 10 Aug 1973 (fl),
Lleras et al. P17294 (INPA, NY), 17 Dec 1975 (fr), N.
Style tomentose on lower third only. Fruit not
T. Silva 4028
seen.
(IAN).
Distribution (Fig. 109). Known only from the
Uses. The fruit (cotyledons) is edible. type gathering.
Couepia dolichopoda is closest to C. longipen- Habitat. Collected at an altitude of 1000 m,
dula but differs in the larger petioles, the reduced where it is an uncommon upland species.
number of stamens, the glabrous peduncles, the Couepia nutans is closely related to C. polyanshorter
campanulate calyx tube and the mark- dra, a Mexican and Central American species,
edly unequal calyx lobes.
the range of which extends south into Costa Rica.
Couepia nutans differs from C. polyandra in the
6-45. Couepia comosa Bentham, J. Bot. (Hook- larger leaves with a great number of primary
er) 2: 215. 1840.
veins, the slightly canaliculate petioles, the slightly
Distribution and habitat (Fig. 100). This larger flowers with a darker brown pubescence,
species
and the
was known until recently only from Guyana. It pendulous leaves.
has now been collected in Venezuela and is not
cited for that country in
6-48.
my account for the Flora Couepia platycalyx Cuatrecasas, Fieldde
Venezuela (Prance, 1982b). The Guyana ma- iana, Bot. 27: 66. 1950.
terial is from rocky places beside rivers and one This is one of the most distinctive species of
of the Venezuelan collections (Stergios et al. 4991) Couepia because of the flattened, almost solid
is from rain forest. There is no doubt that the receptacle. A third and fourth collection add to
material of this distinct species is conspecific. the two studied in 1972.