Pseudephedranthus fragrans (R.E.Fr.) Aristeg.

Erkens, Roy H. J., Oosterhof, Jessica, Westra, Lubbert Y. T. & Maas, Paul J. M., 2017, Revisions of Ruizodendron and Pseudephedranthus (Annonaceae) including a new species and an overview of most up-to-date revisions of Neotropical Annonaceae genera, PhytoKeys 86, pp. 75-96 : 88-90

Pseudephedranthus fragrans (R.E.Fr.) Aristeg. Figs 6 , 7

Pseudephedranthus fragrans (R.E.Fr.) Aristeg., Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 18(2): 43. f. 10. 1969.

Ephedranthus fragrans R.E.Fr., Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden 9(3): 327. 1957.

Type.

VENEZUELA. Amazonas: Río Negro, occasional on lower slopes of Piedra Nunca , just N of Piedra de Cucuy, 100-150 m, 10 April 1953, Maguire & Wurdack 34954 (holotype S [barcode S.85211]; isotypes F, GH, NY, P, S) .

Description.

Tree, 10-20 m tall, 15-30 cm diam.; young twigs glabrous, fissured, covered with a white, waxy surface. Leaves: petioles 8-12 by 1-2 mm; lamina lamina elliptic to narrowly elliptic, (5-)10-25 by (2.5-)4-7(-9) cm (index 2-3), chartaceous to coriaceous, dark greenish-brown above, pale green below, shiny and glabrous on both sides, base obtuse to less often acute, the extreme base shortly attenuate or not, apex shortly acuminate (acumen to ca. 15 mm long), secondary veins 5-9 on either side of primary vein, raised above, smallest distance between secondary veins and margin 2-6 mm, tertiary veins raised above, reticulate. Inflorescence axillary, 1-2(-more)-flowered, usually on older parts of branchlets; pedicels 4-8 by ca. 1 mm, fruiting pedicels to ca. 10 by 2-4 mm, densely covered with appressed hairs to ca. 0.1 mm long; bracts 3-5, triangular, 0.7-1 mm long, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs to ca. 0.1 mm long; flower buds broadly ovoid; sepals shallowly ovate-triangular, 1.5-2 by 3 mm, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs to ca. 0.1 mm long; petals white to cream in vivo, narrowly elliptic, 9-15 by 3-5 mm, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs to ca. 0.1 mm long; staminate flowers: torus concave, ca. 2.5 mm long, stamens ca. 50, 1.5-2 mm long, basal stamens with a broadly ovoid prolongation of connective, the distal ones with a discoid prolongation of connective, carpels absent; bisexual flowers: torus slightly raised, ca. 1 mm long, stamens ca. 15, 1.5-2.5 mm long, apical prolongation of connective broadly ovoid, carpels ca. 25, ca. 3 mm long, densely covered with appressed hairs to ca. 0.1 mm long, stigma ca. 1 mm long. Monocarps 3-10, green, maturing orange in vivo, pale brown in sicco, ellipsoid, 25-32 by 12-15 mm, apex rounded, sparsely covered with appressed hairs to ca. 0.4 mm long to glabrous, wall 0.2{-1} mm thick; stipes 2-4 by 1.5 mm. Seed ovoid, 25-30 by 13-15 mm, pale brown, transversely striate.

Distribution.

Restricted to the Upper Rio Negro region of Brazil and adjacent Venezuela. Fig. 1 .

Habitat and ecology.

In lowland rain forest (in forested hills at the base of Piedra de Cucuy, Maas, pers. comm.). At elevations of 50-600 m. Flowering: April, December; fruiting: October, December.

Specimens examined.

Venezuela. Amazonas: Rio Negro , forested base of Piedra de Cucuy, 100-200 m, Maas et al. 6878 (INPA, MO, NY, RB, S, U, WU) . Brazil. Amazonas: Rio Cauaburi , Cano Tucano , 125 m, Maguire et al. 60189 (F, GH, MO, NY, S), 60191 (MO, NY, S, US); Rio Negro , Rio Cauaburi , Rio Tucano , Camp Tucano (Camp No. 2), 850 ft., Maguire et al. 60332 (MO); between Palmito Camp and Camp Tatu, 400-600 m, N.T. Silva & Brazão 60683 (NY, US); Rio Negro , Rio Cauaburí, Rio Maturacá, between Camp III and Maloca, N.T. Silva & Brazão 60738 (NY) .

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution map of Ruizodendron ovale, Pseudephedranthus fragrans and P. enigmaticus.

Figure 6. a Branch of Pseudephedranthus fragrans b Monocarps (Maas et al. 6878, U).

Figure 7. Fruit of Pseudephedranthus fragrans. Venezuela, Amazonas: Piedra de Cucuy (Maas et al. 6878).