Oxandra asbeckii (Pulle) R.E.Fr. — Plate, 1931

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 : 221-225

2. Oxandra asbeckii (Pulle) R.E.Fr. — Plate 1a–c; Map 1

Oxandra asbeckii (Pulle) R.E.Fr.(1931) 167,f.5a,b. — Bocagea asbeckii Pulle (1909) 262. — Type: Van Asbeck 81 (holo U), Suriname, Patrick Savanne , July 1907.

Tree or shrub 4–25 m tall, 5–25 cm diam; young twigs densely covered with appressed hairs, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 2–5 mm long, 1–1.5 mm diam; lamina narrowly elliptic, rarely elliptic, 7–13 by 3–5 cm (leaf index 2–3.1), chartaceous, rather densely verruculose mostly below, shiny and greyish green above, grey to brown and often glaucous below, glabrous above, sparsely covered with some appressed hairs along the primary vein below, base acute to attenuate, rarely obtuse, apex long-acuminate (acumen 5–20 mm long), primary vein raised above, secondary veins distinct, 6–7 on either side of primary vein, slightly raised above, angle of secondary veins with primary vein 60–70°, smallest distance between loops and margin 3–5 mm, tertiary veins slightly raised above, reticulate. Flowers solitary; pedicels 1–5 mm long, 1 mm diam, fruiting pedicels 3–7 mm long, 1–2 mm diam, sparsely covered with appressed hairs; bracts 3–7, depressed ovate, 1–1.5 mm long, outer side rather densely covered with appressed hairs; flower buds subglobose to ellipsoid; sepals broadly ovate, 1.5–2 by 1.5–2 mm, outer side sparsely covered with appressed hairs to glabrous; petals white in vivo, ovate, 6–9 by 3–4 mm, outer side glabrous; stamens 9–12, 3–3.5 mm long, apex of connective narrowly triangular; carpels ≤ 7. Monocarps 1–7, green, maturing purple to finally dark purple to black in vivo, black in sicco, ellipsoid, 15–30 by 8–14 mm, glabrous, apex apiculate (apiculum to c. 1 mm long), wall 0.5–1 mm thick, stipes 1–2 by 1–2 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 15–20 by 8–10 mm, brown, surface minutely pitted to transversely striate, ruminations spiniform or peg-shaped.

Distribution — Colombia (Amazonas), Venezuela (Amazonas), Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil (Acre, Amazonas).

Habitat & Ecology — In non-inundated rainforest, Wallaba forest, low caatinga forest, campinarana (with a layer of litter and humus 10–30 cm deep), or rarely inundated forest, on brown sands, white sands or on lateritic soil.At elevations of 0– 800 m. Flowering: April, May, November; fruiting: July to March.

Vernacular names — Colombia: Cajao-dujeco (Muinane name, Urrego G. et al. 643), Carguero de vara (Mohr & Sosa 49). French Guiana: Aso mato, Bi pao, Gie pawoe (Saramaca name, Mori et al. 23388), Mi-Pente, Moemba, Mouamba (Para- maca name, Mori et al. 23388), Bamba (Saramaca name, Villiers 5255bis), Moemba (Boni name, Fleury 161, 830), Mwemba (Boni name, Fleury 347), Npomba (Djuka name, Sauvain 451). Guyana: Karashiri (Arawak name, FDBG 2727, 3789, 4836), Karishiri (Arawak name, Ek 833, Persaud 339, 343, University of Guyana, Course Neotropical Botany 55). Suriname: Echte pikapika (Surinamese Dutch name, Schulz LBB 7667), Foedida (Stahel, Woodherbarium Suriname 271), Hansoe matoe (Saramaca name, Van Donselaar 3499), Mamba (Aucan name, Van Donselaar 1024), Mwamba (Aucan name, Van Donselaar 3499), Pikapika (Sranang name, Van Donselaar 1024, 3499, Lanjouw & Lindeman 2165, Lindeman 6988, Schulz LBB 8050, Van Andel 4639), Schopsteelenhout (Surinamese Dutch name, Van Asbeck BBS 81).

Uses — Used for making ‘carbets’ and ‘takari’ poles ( Mori et al. 23388, French Guiana).

Field observations — Mature fruit with taste somewhat like that of date (Maas et al. 7738, Guyana); Les toucans son friands de ces fruits dont on trouve les grains à terre (Prévost 278, French Guiana).

Note — Oxandra asbeckii is quite characteristic by its leaf venation, which is raised on both sides and by its relatively small, long-acuminate leaves. Material from the Guianas has verruculose leaves, Brazilian, Colombian and Venezuelan collections have non-verruculose leaves. As all other features of leaves and fruits fell nicely in the concept of O. asbeckii we have refrained from naming it.

Figures

Map 1 Distribution of Oxandra aberrans (●), O. asbeckii (●) and O. bolivarensis (▲).