Vouacapoua Aubl., Hist. Pl. Guiane 2 (Suppl.): 9, pl. 373. 1775.

Figs 22, 23, 24

Type.

Vouacapoua americana Aubl.

Description.

Unarmed trees. Stipules not observed. Leaves spiral, imparipinnate; petiole terete; extrafloral nectaries on pulvinus or between all pairs of leaflets, sessile, secretory surface convex, sometimes absent; leaflets 7-11, opposite. Inflorescence a panicle; bract 1, caducous, bracteoles 2, caducous. Flowers perigynous, radially symmetrical; hypanthium campanulate; sepals 5, free; petals 5, yellow, free; stamens 10, free, filaments glabrous, anthers longitudinally dehiscent; pollen unknown; ovary shortly stipitate, attached to the base of the hypanthium. Fruit obovoid to ellipsoid drupaceous legume, rugose and velutinous, one (rarely 2-3)-seeded, swollen over seed, dehiscent. Seeds globose to obovoid, with a brownish, smooth and glossy testa.

Chromosome number.

Unknown.

Included species and geographic distribution.

Three species, V. americana, V. macropetala Sandwith and V. pallidior Ducke, restricted to northern South America in the wet Amazonian forests of Brazil, British Guiana, French Guiana and Suriname (Ducke 1932a; Sandwith 1937; Cota 2020c; Fig. 24).

Ecology.

The genus is known only on well-drained soils from lowland tropical rainforests of the Amazon basin ("terra firme").

Human uses.

The timber of V. americana is used in civil and naval constructions and furniture (Lewis 2005b).

Etymology.

The name originated with the Galibi (also called Kalinã), indigenous people from northern South America. " Vouacapoua " or “Voicapou” are Galibi names for Vouacapoua americana (Aublet 1775; Mari-Mut 2018).

Notes.

Vouacapoua is characterised by a terete petiole, extrafloral nectaries on the pulvinus or between the pairs of leaflets, glabrous stamen filaments (Fig. 22), an obovoid to ellipsoid legume, swollen over the (mostly) single seed, and seeds globose to obovoid with a brownish testa. In the original description, Vouacapoua was described as having three bracteoles on the pedicels, but from observation of herbarium specimens, we certify that there are two bracteoles and one bract. Vouacapoua has extrafloral nectaries on leaves and flowers that are radially symmetrical, a characteristic also seen in Batesia . However, Batesia differs from Vouacapoua by having winged petioles, stamens with a villous filament base, a follicle rather than a drupaceous legume, and seeds with an orangish to reddish testa.

Seeds of V. americana are dispersed by small rodents ( Myoprocta exilis and Dasyprocta leporina) that bury the fruits at short distances from the source tree (Forget 1990, 1994). Their fragrant flowers are pollinated by small bees ( Apidae, Halictidae and Anthophoridae) and flies ( Syrphidae; Maués et al. 1999).

Taxonomic references.

Aublet (1775); Cota (2020c); Ducke (1932a); Lewis (2005b); Sandwith (1937).