Oxandra xylopioides Diels

Junikka, L., Maas, P. J. M., Maas-van de Kamer, H. & Westra, L. Y. Th., 2016, Revision of Oxandra (Annonaceae), Blumea 61 (3), pp. 215-266 : 259-261

27. Oxandra xylopioides Diels — Fig. 21g, h, 25; Map 13

Oxandra xylopioides Diels (1927) 172. — Type: Tessmann 4572 (holo B; iso NY, US), Peru, Loreto, Upper Río Marañon, near mouth of Río Santiago, Pongo de Manseriche , 160 m, Nov. 1924.

Oxandra major R.E.Fr. (1937) 282, f. 10j, syn. nov. — Type: Krukoff 8497 (holo NY; iso BR, F, G, K, MICH, MO, NY, P, S, U), Brazil, Amazonas, Basin of Rio Solimões , Mun. São Paulo de Olivença, near Palmares, 11 Sept.–26 Oct. 1936.

Tree 3–45 m tall, 2–70 cm diam; young twigs densely covered with appressed to erect, brown hairs, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 1–4 mm long, 1–2 mm diam; lamina narrowly oblong-elliptic to narrowly ovate, 4–20 by 1–5 cm (leaf index 3.6–8), chartaceous, totally verruculose above and below, the verruculae often string-forming, dull above, greyish brown to brown above and below, glabrous above, sparsely covered with appressed hairs below, soon glabrous, base with two distinct angular to tooth-like projections on either side, apex long-acute, primary vein impressed above, secondary veins indistinct and almost invisible, 10–16 on either side of primary vein, flat above, angle of secondary veins with primary vein 45–80°, smallest distance between loops and margin 2–3 mm, tertiary veins indistinct, almost invisible, flat above, reticulate. Flowers in 1–7-flowered inflorescences; pedicels 1–2 mm long, c. 1 mm diam, fruiting pedicels 2–5 mm long, 1–3 mm diam, glabrous; bracts 5–8, depressed ovate, 1–2 mm long, outer side rather densely to sparsely covered with appressed hairs; flower buds ellipsoid; sepals shallowly ovate-triangular, 1.5–2 by 2–3 mm, outer side sparsely covered with appressed hairs to glabrous; petals yellow, cream, or white in vivo, elliptic to ovate, 7–8 by 3–4 mm, outer side sparsely covered with appressed hairs; stamens 9–16, 2–3 mm long, apex of connective narrowly to broadly triangular; carpels ≤ 9. Monocarps 1–8, green-orange, maturing red, wine-red to black in vivo, black in sicco, obovoid, ellipsoid or subglobose, 13–25 by 9–14 mm, glabrous, apex rounded to apiculate (apiculum <0.5 mm long), wall 0.5–2 mm thick, stipes 1–4 by 1 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 10–18 by 8–10 mm, brown, surface minutely pitted to transversely striate, ruminations spiniform.

Distribution — Bolivia (La Paz, Pando), Brazil (Acre, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia), Colombia (Amazonas, Antioquia, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Vaupés), Ecuador (Morona- Santiago, Napo, Pastaza, Sucumbios), French Guiana, Peru (Amazonas, Huánuco, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Pasco, Ucayali), Venezuela (Amazonas).

Habitat & Ecology — In non-inundated (terra firme) or periodically inundated (várzea) forest, or gallery forest, on sandy to clayey, red to yellow soil. At elevations of 0– 450 m. Flowering: from June to February; fruiting: all year through.

Vernacular names — Brazil: Envira-preta (Figueiredo 846), Envira-vassourinha ( Silveira et al. 887), Inviera (Campbell et al. 6125), Invira-preta (Krukoff 8093). Colombia: Cargero (Van Dulmen 389), Faak+o cugao (Muinane name, Murillo & Rodríguez A. 564), Fatrriocugao (Muinane name, Urrego et al. 248), Popai de culebra (Urrego et al. 248), T+raña (Huitoto

Fig. 26 Oxandra sp. Fernández. Fruiting twig (Y. Fernández 306, U).

name, Murillo & Román 583). Ecuador: Kaya yais (Shuar name, Anananch RBAE 127), Rumi cara caspi (Quichua name, Neill & Rojas 10020), Yais (Shuar name, Kunkumas RBAE 209). French Guiana: Pendje ku (Boni name, Sauvain 342). Peru: Espintana (Jenssen S. 39, 40, Lao M. 8, T.D. Pennington et al. 16996, Reynel R. 166, Rimachi Y. 4350, Ruiz M. & Jaramillo 1124, J.M. Schunke 94, Soria S. s. n., Vásquez et al. 7421, 8151, 8308, 9368, 10361, 10362, 11822, Ll. Williams 4134), Espintana amarillo (Rimachi Y. 2920), Espintana negra ( Acosta Malpica 46, McDaniel & Rimachi Y. 20313, Pariona & Ruiz M. 1034, 1041), Espintana negro (Gentry et al. 36293, 41378), Espintano (Killip & Smith 28317), Kayayaís (Kayap 964), Kaya yaais (Shuar name, Ancuash A. 362), Kaya yais (Shuar name, Ancuash A. 468, Tunqui 172), Kaya yeis (Huambisa name, Huashikat 1170, 1257, 1519), Pinsha caspi (Ellenberg 2916), Pinsha cayo (Reynel R. 751), Pintana (R.B. Foster & Wright 8150), Pintana negra (Alexiades 86PEM004, Hartshorn & Quijano 2948), Yahuarachi caspi (Rimachi Y. 3128).

Uses — Usos como material de construccion para casas ( Acosta Malpica 46, Peru); construção civil (Figueiredo 846, Brazil); used in rural house construction (Foster & Wright 8150, Peru); se utiliza para madera (Huashikat 1257 and Tunquí 172, Peru); wood used for building houses (Killip & Smith 28317, Peru); sirva el tallo para hacer piesas para construer la casa (Kunkumas RBAE 209, Ecuador); madera para puntales de casas ( Lao 8, Peru); vapor baths of leaves to treat fevers ( Neill & Rojas 10020, Ecuador); timber good for construction (J.M. Schunke 94, Peru); casca usada como envira ( Silveira et al. 887, Brazil).

Field observations — Fruto con olor agradable (Brand & Cogollo 49, Colombia); frutos con olor muy fuerte ( Maceda 38, Peru); flowers with strong aromatic and pleasant fragrance (Rainer 249, Peru).

Notes — Oxandra xylopioides is a much collected species, which is very easily recognizable by its narrow leaves (resembling certain species of Xylopia ), which are totally verruculose (verrucae completely covering the leaf surface) and basally provided with two tooth-like projections. Moreover, the leaf venation is hardly visible.

It is closest to O. panamensis from which it differs by a leaf base generally with tooth-like projections. Moreover, the leaves are totally verruculose (hardly leaving any space in between) instead of densely verruculose (where the warts are separate with distinct space in between).

We have reduced O. major to a synonym of O. xylopioides as this is no more than a large-leaved form of the latter.