Mappia Jacquin (1797: 22)

Angulo, Diego F., Stefano, Rodrigo Duno De & Stull, Gregory W., 2013, Systematics of Mappia (Icacinaceae), an endemic genus of tropical America, Phytotaxa 116 (1), pp. 1-18 : 8

Mappia Jacquin (1797: 22) , nom. cons.

Type: Mappia racemosa Jacquin (1797: 22) .

Shrubs or trees up to 25 m tall. Young branches cylindric, rarely slightly angular, in general all parts puberulent to sericeous-tomentose when young, becoming glabrous with time, hairs simple with two branches more or less the same length (i. e., malpighiaceous hairs). Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate, membranaceous to subcoriaceous, sometimes clustered at the apex of a young branch, green when dry, rarely turning black; petiole up to 3 cm long, slightly sulcate, flattened, with a nitid abscission line in the base, puberulent to tomentose, especially in the grove; blades narrowly oblanceolate, narrowly obovate, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, puberulent on both sides, turning glabrous with time, with domatia in axils of secondary nerves, rarely absent, glabrous or puberulent abaxially, glabrous adaxially; apex acute or narrowly acuminate, s omet imes e marginated; margi n entire; ba se a ttenua te, rare ly c uneate; ve na tion pe nnine rve d, brochidodromous, main vein conspicuous abaxially, slightly sunken and conspicuous adaxially, 5–13 pairs of secondary nerves, alternate, conspicuous or not, tertiary venation perpendicular to the secondary nerves, conspicuous or not. Inflorescence up to 13 cm long, axillary, cymose, sometimes extensively branching, overall puberulent, sericeous-tomentose to strigose, peduncle up to 9.5 cm long, bracteate at the base of the peduncle, bracts up to 1.5 mm long, concave, triangular, sericeous-tomentose; without bracteoles. Flowers pentamerous, rarely tetra- or heptamerous, actinomorphic, hermaphroditic, articulate at the base. Calyx campanulate, slightly fleshy, puberulent or almost glabrous in the abaxial surface, lobes mucronate to deltoid. Corolla white-yellow, petals free, sericeous or glabrous outside, bearded inside, rarely glabrous; main vein inconspicuous, rarely conspicuous, apex acute, prolonged in a short tip, inflexed; margin slightly swollen apically, slightly papillate. Stamens alternate to petals, free; filament cylindrical, erect; anthers basifixed, dehiscent by longitudinal slits; connective narrowly triangular, prolonged with a short tip. Disk free, encircling base of the ovary, margin with 5 mucronate lobes, hirsute to glabrous outside, glabrous inside. Pistils subglobose, hirsute to glabrous, ovary unilocular, ovules two (only one developed), anatropous, pendent from the apex of the locule; style short; stigma capitate. Fruits subglobose or ellipsoidal drupes, glabrous, apex acute or apiculate; exocarp thin, red when mature; mesocarp slightly fleshy when mature; endocarp hard, smooth.

Distribution: —Greater Antilles, Mexico and parts of Central America ( Guatemala, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and possibly Panama).