Trichilia rubra C.DC.

Pennington, Terence D., 2016, Systematic Treatment Of American Trichilia (Meliaceae), Phytotaxa 259 (1), pp. 18-162 : 63-65

17. Trichilia rubra C.DC. in Mart., Fl.Bras. 11(l): 203 (1878); T. D.Penn., Fl. Neotrop. 28: 75 (1981). Type :— BRAZIL. Pará , Borba, fl., Riedel 1307 (holotype, LE; isotypes, LE, P, K). Plate 5 , Map 23

For synonymy see FN 28: 75 (1981). Illustration FN 28: 74, fig. 9 (1981).

Abbreviated Description. Indumentum of simple hairs, leaflets mostly 7–9, opposite, mostly 9–20 cm long, 2–6 cm broad, usually oblong or elliptic, inflorescence mostly 1–6 cm long, often with several clustered on a short shoot, a short panicle with spikate branches, petals (4–)5, free, 3–4.5 mm long, imbricate, filaments fused for 1/3 to 2/3 their length, anthers (9–)10(–11), nectary absent, ovary pubescent or strigose, 3-locular, locules 1-ovulate, fruit 2.5–4 cm long, 3-valved, ovoid, ellipsoid or obovoid, appressed puberulous, seed usually solitary, completely surrounded by a thin arillode.

Distribution & Ecology. Northern, western and Amazonian South America from Colombia and Venezuela southwards to Bolivia, along riverbanks, in periodically flooded forest and in non-flooded forest, mostly a low elevation, but reaching 1000 m on the lower Andean slopes in Ecuador. Not recorded from Surinam or French Guiana.

Representative Additional Collections. COLOMBIA. Vaupes:?locality (SW0169), Defler 289 (COAH).

VENEZUELA. Apuré: Distrito San Fernando, N bank of R. Orinoco, N of Isla Urbana (NW0766), Davidse & Gonzalez 13147 (K). Carabobo: Distrito Bejuma, between la Cumbre Parguito and Cerro El Marquero (NW1068), Meier & Kunert 5059 (K). Delta Amacuro: Departamento A. Diaz, Cano Orocoima (NW0861), Aymard 5538 (K). Amazonas: Medio Rio Emoni (NW0266), Stergios et al. 9987 (K).

GUYANA. Cuyuni-Mazaruni: Pakaraima Mountains, Kurupung River (NW0660), Hoffman et al. 2375 (K). Pomeroon-Siparuni: Pomeroon River watershed, Issororo River (NW0758), Hoffman & Roberts 2703 (K).

ECUADOR. Morona-Santiago: near Yunganza, 15 km N of Limon (SW0278), Pennington & Tenorio 10779 (K). Napo: Jatun Sacha Biological Station (SW0177), C. & M. Cerón 4488 (K). Orellana: Yasuní Scientific Station, R. Tiputini (SW0076), Villa & Alvia 1449 (K). Sucumbios: Cantón Gonzalo Pizarro, Rio Tigre (SW0077), Palacios & Neill 1615 (K). Zamora-Chinchipe: Cantón Nangaritza, Rio Nangaritza, Miazi to Pachicutza (SW0478), Neill & Palacios 9712 (K).

PERU. Amazonas: Bagua Province, Yamayakat (SW0478), Jaramillo & Katip 771 (K). Loreto: Rio Ucayali, Jenaro Herrera (SW0473), Kvist & Freitas 7191 (K). Madre de Dios: Prov. Tambopata, Rio Tambopata, Infierno (SW1269), Pesha et al. 118 (K). Ucayali: Prov. Coronel Portillo, Yarinacocha, Tunchish Caño (SW0874), Graham & Schunke 500 (K).

BRAZIL. Acre: Municipio de Bujari, Riozinho do Andira (SW0967), Pardo et al. 73 (K). Amazonas: Reserva Florestal Ducke (SW0259), Vicentini et al. 395 (K). Pará: Rio Xingu, Rancho do Zacarias (SW0352), Vasconcelos et al. 465 (K).

BOLIVIA. Beni: Province Vaca Diez, 3 km SW of Riberalta (SW1166), Solomon 6355 (K). La Paz: Alto Madidi, road 3–5 km NE of Camp (SW1368), Gentry et al. 70776 (K). Pando: Prov. Nicolas Suarez, Rio Nareuda (SW1169), Paniagua et al. 605 (K).

Relationships. This species is generally characterized by leaves which are more or less glabrous. However, some individuals collected in central and western Brazilian Amazonia have the leaflet undersurface softly pubescent (with erect hairs) on the midrib and secondary veins, and the immature fruit of these plants also has a similar indumentum.All other characters of their leaves, flowers and fruit are typical of the species. Future studies may show them to be worth formal recognition, but at present, the evidence is insufficient. The specimens seen are Amaral et al. 60 (SW0364) (K, NY), 735 (K, NY), Campbell et al. 9570 (SW0773) (K), Cid 3215 (SW0364) (K); Cid et al. 7233 (SW0167) (NY); Prance et al. 8291 (K).

MAP 23. Distribution of Trichilia rubra C.DC. Solid dots, distribution pre-1981, open dots new records 1981–2010.

A large-leaved form of this species occurs in Amazonian Peru. It is so far known only in fruit, and this is typical of the species. The collections seen are Huashikat 814 (SW0377) (MO), 939 (MO); Rimachi 3467 (SW0373) (K), 10505 (MO).

Figures

PLATE 5. Trichilia rubra C.DC. A, habit with inflorescence, B, whole flower; C, half flower; D, cross-section of ovary; E, capsule. (A, FDBG 2337; B–D, Hoffman & Roberts 2665; E, Hoffman & Roberts 2703).