Otoba acuminata (Standley) Gentry (1979: 417)

Jaramillo-Vivanco, Tatiana S. & Balslev, Henrik, 2020, Revision of Otoba (Myristicaceae), Phytotaxa 441 (2), pp. 143-175 : 153

Otoba acuminata (Standley) Gentry (1979: 417) .

Basionym: Dialyanthera acuminata Standley (1929: 209) .

Type:— PANAMA. Bocas del Toro: Region of Almirante, Daytonia Farm , Jan 1928, Cooper 395, staminate (holotype: F!; isotypes: G, K!, NY!, US -photo, Y-photo) .

Tree to 20 m tall; branchlets terete, glabrescent. Petiole 6–12 × 1 mm, obscurely winged; lamina 5–12 × 2–4 cm, elliptic, base attenuate, apex acuminate, papery, rugose above; usually whitish, somewhat pubescent, and muricate below; secondary veins 5–9 per side, irregularly anastomosing; intramarginal veins absent. Staminate inflorescence axillary, to 5 cm long, sessile or with a 0.5 cm long peduncle; partial inflorescences 3–4, peduncle 1–2 cm long, pubescent to glabrescent, 15-flowered; umbelliform parts alternate, ca. 5 flowers; bracteoles absent. Staminate flowers with pedicel (2–) 4–6 mm long; perianth 2.5–3.5 mm long, fused for 1/4 of its length, inner surface smooth, rarely with a basal ring, lobes 3(–4); androecium 1.5–2.0 mm long; filament column bottle-shaped, fused but somewhat divergent distally; anthers globose, apex obtuse, ca. 0.3 mm long, dorsally attached to the filament apex. Pistillate flowers with ovary pubescent*. Infructescence with 1–2 fruits, to 5 cm long. Fruit ca. 2.5 cm diam, globose, base cuneate, apex apiculate, sparsely pubescent, glabrescent; pericarp 1–2 mm thick; aril yellow, laciniate for 3/4 of its length; seed ca. 2 cm diam, with a prickle near the apex.

*Pistillate characters based on Santamaría-Aguilar et al. (2019).

Representative specimens examined:— COSTA RICA. Cartago: Turrialba, CATIE, Sendero Espavel, a 300 m desde la entrada hacia el río Reventazón, 9°53′34.06”N, 83°38′ 52.96”W, 2019, Jiménez 4565 ( USJ nv, CR nv). Limón: Reserva Biológica Limón, Hitoy Cerere, orilla del río Cerere, 9°38′46”N, 83°02′10”W, 2000, Acosta et al. 1979 ( MO nv). PANAMA. Coclé: N of El Valle de Anton, Allen 3645 ( K, MO nv, P-photo, U-photo). Colón: Río Guanche, ca. 2.5 km upriver from bridge on road to Portobelo, 1975, Mori & Kallunki 6460 (F-photo, MO nv). Panamá: Arosemena final, Estación Los Chorros, orillas del Río Trinidad, Aguilar et al. 993 (F-photo). COLOMBIA. Antioquia: Municipio Segovia, 24.5 km N of Remedios, 17 km N of La Cruzada, on road to Zaragoza, Thomas & Castaño 5501 ( NY).

Distribution:— Costa Rica, Panamá and Colombia, along the Caribbean side of the divide ( Fig. 2 ) from 0–1050 m. It appears to share an ecological niche with O. vespertilio . However, Santamaría-Aguilar et al. (2019) mentioned that this species occurs more frequently above 500 m.

Conservation status:— NT, near threatened ( IUCN 2020).

Notes:— Latex, when present, is transparent or red. In living material, leaves are glossy and green above, whitish below; flowers are yellow to orange, and fruits are green. It is probably used as timber. In Colombia, it has been seen with flowers and fruits in March, May and November ( Cogollo et al. 2007).

Vernacular names:— Otobo, sangre de pescado ( Colombia); saba ( Panama).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Distribution of Otoba acuminata and O. cyclobasis.