Trichilia poeppigii C.DC., Monogr. Phan.

Pennington, Terence D., 2016, Systematic Treatment Of American Trichilia (Meliaceae), Phytotaxa 259 (1), pp. 18-162 : 120-122

61. Trichilia poeppigii C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 1: 685 (1878); T. D.Penn. Fl. Neotrop. 28: 162 (1981). Type:— PERU. Banks of the Amazon, fl., Poeppig 2407 (lectotype, G-DC (designated FN 28: 163 (1981)). Map 69

For synonymy see FN 28: 162 (1981). Illustration: FN 28: 163, fig. 29 (1981).

Abbreviated Description. Indumentum of minute appressed basifixed simple hairs, leaflets (4–)5–9(–11), alternate to subopposite, 9 × 3–23 × 7 cm, usually oblanceolate, less frequently oblong or elliptic, petiole narrowly winged, inflorescence 5–20(–50) cm long, a pyramidal thyrse, petals 3–4(–5), 3.5–5(–6) mm long, fused for 2/3 to 3/4 of their length, valvate, remaining erect, filaments completely fused into a staminal tube, anthers 5–7(–8), nectary absent, ovary 3-locular, locules with 2 collateral ovules, appressed puberulous, capsule 2.3–3.5 cm long, 3-valved, ovoid, ellipsoid or obovoid, smooth, appressed puberulous, seeds 2 in each fruit, arillode adaxial and prolonged at the seed apex.

Distribution & Ecology. Although there have been numerous additional collections of this species since 1981, there has been little increase in the known overall range which still extends from Panama to southern Peru.

Representative Additional Collections. PANAMA. Colón: Rio Guanche, between Colón and Portobelo (NW0979), McPherson 10603 (K).

MAP 69. Distribution of Trichilia poeppigii C.DC. Solid dots, distribution pre-1981, open dots new records 1981–2010.

COLOMBIA. Antioquia: Municipio Carepa, 45 km S of Turbo (NW0876), Callejas et al. 4842 (MO). Chocó: Municipio Rio Sucio, Uraba, Cerros del Cuchillo (NW0777), Cardenas 2277 (MO).

ECUADOR. Esmeraldas: Anchayacu, Eloy Alfaro, Mayronga (NW0079), Pennington et al. 14030 (K, QCNE). Napo: 9 km below Puerto Misahualli (SW0177), Neill et al. 6041 (K). Orellana: Cantón La Joya de los Sachas, Pompeya (SW0076), Gudiño & Andi 2072 (MO).

PERU. Loreto: Prov. Maynas, Alpahuayo (SW0373), Vásquez et al. 5900 (MO). Madre de Dios: Cocha Cashu Biological Station, Manu National Park (SW1171), Gentry 43412 (MO). Pasco: Oxapampa, Pichis Valley, Santa Rosa de Chivis (SW1074) , Foster 8579 (K). Puno: Carabaya Province, Rio Candano (SW1370), Cornejo & Balarezo 2661 (MO). San Martín: 31 km S of Tarapoto (SW0676), Gentry et al. 37706 (K). Ucayali: Prov. Purus, Rio Curanja (SW1071), Graham & Schunke 1741 (K).

BRAZIL. Acre: Rio Branco, Ramal Acai (SW0967), Alves de Souza 136 (K). Amazonas: Municipio Atalaia do Norte, 5 km from town (SW0470), Cid Ferreira et al. 9863 (K).

Relationships. The name T. floribunda Little was applied to a large-leaved, large-inflorescenced plant from coastal Ecuador. It was subsumed under T. poeppigii in the Flora Neotropica treatment (1981), but has recently been raised again to specific rank in the Flora of Ecuador ( Palacios, 2007). Numerous new collections have accumulated over the past 27 years, both from the Pacific drainage and from Amazonia, and I can still find no valid reason for recognizing it as a distinct species or even at subspecific level within T. poeppigii . Palacios justifies his decision on the basis of the geographical distribution ( T. floribunda confined to the Pacific slopes, T. poeppigii in Amazonia) and the smaller flowers of T. floribunda (petals 2.6–3.4 mm versus 4–6 mm in T. poeppigii ). But recently collected material demonstrates that there is no difference in flower size between Pacific and Amazonian plants. For example, there are copious collections from NW Pacific Ecuador in which both male and female flowers have petals 5.5–6 mm long (e.g. Pennington et al. 14246, 14926). The picture is further confused by Palacios’ inclusion of T. primogenita within his concept of T. floribunda . I regard T. primogenita as a distinct species, which does have slightly smaller flowers than T. poeppigii (see further comment under T. primogenita ). Large-leaved and large-inflorescenced plants are no longer confined to the Pacific drainage, as there are several recent collections from Amazonia (e.g. Cornejo & Balarezo 2661 ( Peru), Acevedo-Rodríguez & Cedeño 7556 ( Ecuador)). Trichilia poeppigii is a wide-ranging species with a lot of variation in leaf, leaflet and inflorescence size, but whereas the Pacific drainage plants are mostly large-leaved and large-inflorescenced, they are well within the range of variation found in Amazonia, and there is no discontinuity in the variation which can be correlated with geographical range.

The ITS analysis confirms the close relationship of this species with T. solitudinis (the latter is nested between the two accessions of T. poeppigii ). Trichilia solitudinis differs from T. poeppigii only in leaflet size, in the larger inflorescence and in the coarser indumentum on the young shoots.

A small series of collections from Falcón, Venezuela, which is outside the known range of T. poeppigii , is included under this species with some reservations. I can find no quantitative differences in flowers or fruit, but the leaves are more coriaceous than typical T. poeppigii . The collections are Benitez de Rojas 1837 (F), Blanco 883 (NY), Marcano-Berti et al. 463–979 (K), 465–979 (K), Liesner et al. 7868 (K), Wingfield & Smith 8840 (K).