Oxandra espintana (Spruce ex Benth.) 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 : 225-227

4. Oxandra espintana (Spruce ex Benth.) Baill. — Fig. 1 ; Plate 1d–e; Map 2

Oxandra espintana (Spruce ex Benth.) Baill. (1868a) 207. — Bocagea espintana Spruce ex Benth. (1860) 71. — Type: Spruce 4920 (holo K; iso B, BM, BP, BR, C, E, F, G, GOET, K, MPU, OXF, P, W), Peru, San Martín, near Tarapoto, along Río Huallaga , Nov. 1856.

Oxandra aromatica Triana & Planch. (1862) 36. — Bocagea aromatica (Triana & Planch.) Britton (1889) 14. — Type: Triana s.n. (holo P; iso B, BM, G, K 2 sheets, NY, P, W), Colombia, Cundinamarca, between Anapoima and Piedras, valley of Río Magdalena, 500–700 m, anno 1866.

Oxandra ovata Rusby (1920) 19. — Type: R.S. Williams 217 (holo NY; iso NY), Bolivia, La Paz, Prov. Franz Tamayo, Lower Río Cocos , 700–800 m, 25 Mar. 1902.

Oxandra nitida R.E.Fr. (1931) 160, f. 4c, syn. nov. — Type: Riedel s.n. (holo S; iso K,LE), Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, ‘in Wäldern bei Mandiocca’ , Jan.1824.

Oxandra opaca E.Pereira & Pabst (1977) 210, syn. nov. — Type: Pereira 7254 (holo HB; iso K, M, MBM, NY, US), Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, ‘matas do Jardim Botânico’ , 15 Feb. 1963.

Oxandra sp. A Steyerm. in Steyermark et al. (1995) 454.

Tree or shrub 2–30 m tall, 5–60 cm diam; young twigs glabrous, rarely covered with some appressed (to erect) hairs in the youngest stage. Leaves: petiole 1–3 mm long, c. 1 mm diam; lamina ovate to obovate to narrowly so, often more or less rhombic, 5–14 by 1.5–7 cm (leaf index 2–3.4), chartaceous to coriaceous, not verruculose or rarely slightly verruculose above and below, shiny and greyish to greyish brown above, greyish brown, greenish brown, or pale brown below, glabrous above and below, base acute, apex bluntly acute to shortly and bluntly acuminate (acumen to c. 10 mm long), primary vein slightly impressed to slightly raised, secondary veins distinct, 6 –12 on either side of primary vein, raised above, angle of secondary veins with primary vein 45–65°, smallest distance between loops and margin 1–3 mm, tertiary veins raised above, reticulate. Flowers in 1–2(–3)-flowered inflorescences; pedicels 1–2 mm long, 0.5–1 mm diam, 3–6 mm long in fruit, glabrous; bracts 4–10, depressed ovate, 0.5–1.5 mm long, outer side glabrous, rarely sparsely covered with appressed hairs; flower buds globose; sepals broadly to shallowly ovate-triangular, 0.5–2.5 by 0.5–3 mm, outer side glabrous, rarely sparsely covered with appressed hairs; petals white to yellow in vivo, ovate to obovate, 5–8 by 2–5 mm, outer side glabrous; stamens 10–20, 1–2 mm long, apex of connective narrowly triangular; carpels ≤ 6. Monocarps 1–6, green, maturing orange-red to dark red and finally black in vivo, black in sicco, ellipsoid, obovoid, or globose, 7–13{–17} by 5–10{–12} mm, glabrous, apex rounded, wall 0.2–0.5{–1.5} mm thick, stipes 1–1.5 by 1.5–2 mm (values between accolades {} refer to measurements on material in spirit). Seed ellipsoid, 7–12 by 5–8 mm, pale brown, surface transversely striate, ruminations spiniform, composed of flattened pegs, or lamellate.

Distribution — Colombia (Boyacá, El Valle del Cauca, Huila, Risaralda), Venezuela (Amazonas, Apure, Bolívar, Lara, Trujillo, Zulia), Brazil (Acre, Amazonas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro), Peru (Huánuco, Loreto, Madre de Dios, San Martín), Bolivia (Beni, La Paz).

Habitat & Ecology — Mostly in non-inundated (terra firme) forest, on clayey to sandy soil. At elevations of 0–1070 m. Flowering: all year through; fruiting: all year through.

Vernacular names — Bolivia: Juruqui (Tacana name, DeWalt et al. 226), Palo remo (Rerts 351), Rimo (Fournet 481), Sipico yejperi (Hinojosa 1168), Sipicu (Meneces & Terceiros 129), Sipiku negro (DeWalt et al. 226), Piraquina negro (DeWalt et al. 226). Brazil:Araticum-do-mato (Folli 2672), Chaporoasca ( Daly et al. 7729), Envira-ferro ( Daly et al. 11217, Silveira et al. 973, Sothers et al. 52), Envireira-caniceira (Luize 154), Imbiú-amarelo (Kurtz et al. s.n.), Pindaíba-ferreira (Folli 3754). Colombia: Guácano (Silverstone-Sopkin & Giraldo-Gensini 6167, 6175). Peru: Ayacbara (Schunke V. 2344), Chicoga narangal ( Mathias 3931), Espintana ( Albán C. 3603, 5915A, Maas et al. 5955, 5956, Reynel 227, J. Ríos 3, Spruce 4920), Espintana blanca ( Albán C. 4109), Espintana hoja chiquita (Schunke V. 9784), Espintana negro ( Albán C. 5042). Venezuela: Anoncillo (Huber & Canales 406/16), Majagua (Huber & Canales 394/1, Ll.Williams 13040, 15559), Yadayada (Yekwana name, Knab-Vispo et al. 676).

Uses — Bark cooked in water for one hour and used for rheumatism ( Mathias 3931, Peru); fruit edible (Rusby 47, Bolivia); madera para construcción y muebles (Silverstone-Sopkin 6175, Colombia).

Field observations — Flowers with sweet scent (Maas et al. 8821, Brazil); Flor tiene olor fuerte placentero (Silverstone-Sopkin et al. 6167, 6175, 6274, 6314, 6337, Colombia); Flores visitadas por cucarrones (beetles) (Silverstone-Sopkin & Arroyo V. 6274, Colombia); Flores visitadas por cucarrón pequeño negro (Silverstone-Sopkin & Arroyo V. 6314, Colombia).

Notes — Oxandra espintana looks somewhat similar to O. riedeliana , which differs, however, by a many-flowered inflorescence, larger fruits and seeds, and a thicker fruit wall.

The following Venezuelan collections fall into the concept of O. espintana , but differ by an indument of erect hairs on the youngest twigs or some also with erect hairs on the lower side of young leaves (particularly the primary vein) in addition: VENEZUELA, Amazonas, El Bagre, near Puerto Ayacucho, 100 m, Ll.Williams 13040 (F). Bolívar, Mun. Piar, isla en el lago de Guri, 270 m, Aymard C. & Norconk 9409 (MO); idem, Aymard C. et al. 10241 (MO); Altoplanice de Nuria, SE of Campamento Nuria, Steyermark 86539 (NY).

Fries (1931) considered O. nitida as a distinct species: “The abundant material of Oxandra now available appears to indicate that we have to do with a new species ( O. nitida ) which, though related to O. espintana , is well distinct by narrower, oblanceolate leaves which gradually narrow towards the base” (translated from German). As we found all kind of intermediate forms between these leaf bases we finally decided to unite both species. For differences with O. martiana see the notes under that species.

Figures

Fig. 1 Oxandra espintana (Spruce ex Benth.) Baill. a. Fruiting twig; b. cross section of leaf; c. flower; d. flower with part of petals removed; e. carpel;f. stamen (a, b: Chatrou et al. 145, U; c–f: Maas et al. 8821, U). — Drawing by Esmée Winkel.