Trichilia fasciculata T.D.Penn., Fl. Neotrop.

Pennington, Terence D., 2016, Systematic Treatment Of American Trichilia (Meliaceae), Phytotaxa 259 (1), pp. 18-162 : 58-59

13. Trichilia fasciculata T.D.Penn., Fl. Neotrop. 28: 133 (1981). Type:— BRAZIL.Brazil, Rondonia, near Fortaleza, fl., Prance, Rodrígues, Ramos & Farias 8500 (holotype, INPA; isotypes, FHO, K, NY, S, US). Map 19

Illustration: FN28: 134, fig. 23 (1981). MAP 19. Distribution of Trichilia fasciculata T.D.Penn. Solid dots, distribution pre-1981, open dots new records 1981–2010.

Young branches slender, 2–3 mm diam., stiffly pubescent to tomentose (with simple crisped basifixed hairs), indumentum persistent, eventually glabrous, brown, with minute pale lenticels. Bud scales absent. Leaves trifoliolate, petiole 2–4 cm long, terete, crisped pubescent to tomentose; petiolule of lateral leaflets 4–6 mm long, of terminal leaflet 1.5–2.5 cm long. Leaflets opposite or suboppposite, lateral leaflets 3.7 × 2–9.9 × 5.6 cm, ovate to lanceolate, terminal leaflet 8 × 3.7–17.2 × 7.7 cm, ovate to broadly elliptic, apex shortly and narrowly attenuate, base shortly and obtusely attenuate to rounded or truncate (base of terminal leaflet cuneate or attenuate), crisped puberulous on midrib and secondary veins above, lower surface sparsely to moderately pubescent, denser on the veins; obscurely glandular-punctate or -striate; venation eucamptodromous, midrib flat or slightly sunken on the upper surface, secondary veins 8–9 pairs (11–13 on terminal leaflet), ascending, arcuate, +/- parallel; intersecondaries variable; tertiaries oblique, obscure. Inflorescence axillary, 0.75–1 cm long, a densely-flowered fascicle or contracted panicle, densely and stiffly pubescent; pedicel ca. 0.5 mm long or flowers +/- sessile. Calyx 2–3 mm long, deeply cyathiform, sepals 5, free or fused up to 1/3 of their length, narrowly lanceolate, margin long- and stiffly-ciliate, aestivation open or imbricate at the base. Petals (4–)5, quincuncial, 3.5–4 mm long, fused for 1/4 to 2/3 of their length, oblong or oblanceolate, apex acute to rounded, glabrous. Staminal tube cylindrical, 2–3 mm long, 0.75–1.5 mm broad, filaments completely fused, margin with 5–8 acute appendages alternating with the anthers and 1/3–1/2 their length, glabrous; anthers 5–8, 0.75–1 mm long, glabrous. Nectary absent or represented by a small annular swelling around the ovary base. Ovary globose, 3-locular, locules with 2 collateral ovules, glabrous, style slender. Capsule ca. 0.9 × 1.3 cm, 3-valved, shallowly 3- lobed, apex and base truncate or slightly depressed, smooth, shortly pubescent with pale erect hairs, pericarp ca. 0.3 mm thick. Seeds 3, ca. 8 mm long, plano-convex, rounded at apex and base, arillode present, apical, covering only a small part of the seed apex. Embryo with plano-convex, obliquely collateral cotyledons, radicle apical, included, endosperm absent.

Field Characters. Treelet to 8 m high with white or cream-coloured scented flowers, and red or purple fruit, seed with an orange arillode. Flowering mostly from September to November, mature fruit known from April, May and August.

Distribution & Ecology.A component of the understorey of non-flooded lowland rain forest, below 300 m elevation. This species was thought to have a disjunct distribution (FN28: 136 (1981)) but is now known to be trans-Amazonian.

Additional Collections Examined. BRAZIL. Acre: Municipio Brasileia, Reserva Chico Mendes, Seringal Porongaba (SW1068), Cid et al. 10134A (K); Municipio Porongaba, Colocacão Sao José (SW1068), Daly et al. 6698 (K), 6980(K); Municipio Rio Branco, BR 317, 10 km W of km 68 (SW1067), Daly et al. 6936 (K), Municipio Bujari, Rio Antimare, Colocacão Boa Vista (SW0968), Daly et al. 9459 (K); 8 km from Rio Branco, road Rio Branco-Porto Velho (SW0967), Lowrie et al. 638 (K); Municipio Acrelandia, BR-364, km 85 (SW0967), Rivero et al. 285 (K). Amazonas: Municipio, Manicore, BR 230, 120 km from Humaita (SW0762), Cid Ferreira 5529 (K); Municipio Novo Aripuana, BR 230, 300 km from Humaita (SW0760), Cid Ferreira 5728 (K); Municipio Humaita, BR 230, 150 km from Humaita on Estrada do Estanho (SW0861), Henderson et al. 276 (K); Municipio Borba, BR 230, 3 km E of Sucunduri (SW0659), Henderson et al. 334 (K). Mato Grosso: Rio Aripuana, road from Nucleo Pioneiro de Humboldt to Rio Juruena (SW1059), Berg & Steward P19872 (K); Municipio Novo Aripuana, Rodovia do Estanho km 120 (SW0961), Cid Ferreira 5627 (K). Pará: Municipio Itaituba, road Santarem-Cuiaba, km 974-980 (SW0755), M.N. Silva 298 (K). Rondonia: Municipio Guajara-Mirím, 25 km SE of Guajara Mirím (SW1065), Nee 34825 (K).

Relationships. This species differs from all other members of sect. Trichilia in its united petals with quincuncial aestivation, and on morphological grounds it was tentatively related to T. elegans and T. clausseni , and in the ITS tree it is placed with T. pallens between the two accessions of T. elegans .