Oxandra lanceolata (Sw.) Baill.

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 : 233

8. Oxandra lanceolata (Sw.) Baill. — Fig. 4d , 8 ; Plate 1h–i; Map 4

Oxandra lanceolata (Sw.) Baill.(1868b) 168. — Uvaria lanceolata Sw.(1788) 87. — Uvaria virgata Sw. (1800) 999,nom.illeg. — Guatteria virgata (Sw.) Dunal (1817) 131, t. 31. — Oxandra virgata (Sw.) A.Rich.(1841) 20. — Bocagea virgata (Sw.) Benth. & Hook.f. (1862) 29. — C ananga virgata (Sw.) A.DC. ex Baill. (1868b) 168. — Type: Swartz s.n. (holo S; iso BM,C, G, S), Jamaica.

Cananga lancea Poit. ex Dunal (1817) 132, nom. nud.

Oxandra punctuata C.Wright ex Griseb. (1861) 154, nom. nud.

Drimys lancea Poit. ex Baill. (1868b) 168, nom. nud.

Oxandra lanceolata (Sw.) Baill. subsp. macrocarpa R.E.Fr. (1956) 433, syn. nov.. — Type: Hinton 16177 (holo US;iso G,K,MICH,NY,UC, US),Mexico, Michoacán, Distr. Coalcoman, Ostula , 21 Nov. 1941.

Tree or shrub 2–20 m tall, 10–30 cm diam; young twigs rather densely covered with appressed hairs, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 1–2 mm long, 0.5–1 mm diam; lamina rhombic, ovate to narrowly ovate, 4–9(–10) by 1.5–3.5 cm (leaf index 2.5– 3.5(–4.5)), chartaceous, rather densely to sparsely verruculose mostly below, dull and pale grey to greyish green above, greyish or brownish green below, glabrous above, sparsely covered with erect hairs to glabrous below, base acute to obtuse, apex bluntly acute, primary vein raised above, secondary veins distinct, 8–11 on either side of primary vein, raised above, angle of secondary veins with primary vein 45–65°, smallest distance between loops and margin 1– 2 mm, tertiary veins raised above, reticulate. Flowers solitary; flowering and fruiting pedicels 1–3 mm long, 0.5–1 mm diam, glabrous; bracts 3–6, depressed ovate, 0.5–1 mm long, outer side sparsely covered with appressed hairs to glabrous; flower buds globose; sepals depressed ovate, c. 1 by 1–2 mm, outer side glabrous; petals white in vivo, elliptic to obovate, 3–7 by 3–4 mm, outer side glabrous; stamens 10–15, c. 2 mm long, apex of connective narrowly triangular; carpels ≤ 6. Monocarps 1–4, green, maturing maroon to black in vivo, black in sicco, ellipsoid to obovoid or broadly so, 8–15 by 5–12 mm, glabrous, apex rounded, wall 0.2–0.5 mm thick, stipes 1–2 by 1–2 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 7–12

Map 4 Distribution of Oxandra lanceolata (●) and O. maya (●).

by 4–10 mm, brown, surface transversely striate, ruminations peg-shaped.

Distribution — Mexico (Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Veracruz), Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia (San Andrés y Providencia).

Habitat & Ecology — Dry thickets, deciduous forest, or very humid forest, on shallow soils. At elevations of 0– 700 m. Flowering: all year through; fruiting: all year through.

Vernacular names — Cuba: Lancewood (Wright 1102), Yaya (Crosby & Matthews 15, Ekman 4178, 4468, 4581, 6078, 6162, 9466, Gill & Whitford 9037). Dominican Republic: Yaya (Maas & Zanoni 6395, Scarff 11H), Yaya fina (Scarff 11H). Haiti: Bois de lance (Ekman 459, Leonard & Leonard 15560). Jamaica: Black lancewood (March 1675), Lancewood (Harris 7099, 9431). Mexico: Chilcahuite (Lott et al. 2895).

Uses — Fine wood used for supporting tiles for roofs where it will not get wet (Lott et al. 2895, Mexico).

Field observations — Fruit edible (Lott et al. 2895, Mexico).

Note — Oxandra lanceolata is one of the two Oxandra species inhabiting the Greater Antilles. It differs from the second species ( O. laurifolia ) by its almost rhombic (vs narrowly oblong-elliptic to narrowly obovate) leaves, globose (instead of ellipsoid) flower buds and shortly pedicellate flowers (pedicels 1–3 vs 3.5–8 mm).

Figures

Fig. 4 a. Oxandra aberrans Maas & Junikka. Detail of flowering branch. — b. Oxandra guianensis R.E.Fr. Detail of fruit. — c. Oxandra krukoffii R.E.Fr. Detail of fruit. — d. Oxandra lanceolata (Sw.) Baill. Detail of flowers. — e–g. Oxandra laurifolia (Sw.) A.Rich. e. Detail of flowers; f. several-flowered inflorescence; g. fruits — h. Oxandra leucodermis (Spruce ex Benth.) Warm. Detail of fruit (a: Kennedy & Breedlove 1422, holo U; b: Hoffman et al. 1463, U; c: Prance et al. 25831, U; d: Proctor 36333, MO; e: Sintenis 4313, U; f: Wright 4, U; g: Zanoni et al. 33142, U; h: Cid et al. 7302, U).

Fig. 8 Oxandra lanceolata (Sw.) Baill. Flowering twig (Proctor 36333, MO).