Desmopsis oerstedii Saff.

Schatz, G. E., Maas, P. J. M., Kamer, H. Maas-van de, Westra, L. Y. T. & Wieringa, J. J., 2018, Revision of the Neotropical genus Desmopsis (Annonaceae), Blumea 63 (1), pp. 67-86 : 80

17. Desmopsis oerstedii Saff. — Map 2

Desmopsis oerstedii Saff. (1916) 191. — Type: Oersted 148 (holo C; iso S (fragment), US 2 sheets, W), Costa Rica, Alajuela, ‘ auf dem Berg Agua- cate’, Nov. 1847.

Shrub or tree 2–10 m tall, c. 15 cm diam; young twigs and petiole densely covered with long-persisting, brownish, erect hairs (velutinous) 0.2–0.3 mm long. Leaves: petiole 4–7 mm long, c. 1 mm diam; lamina narrowly elliptic to elliptic, 5–14 by 3–6 cm, chartaceous, glossy and glabrous above, except for erect hairs along primary vein, densely covered with long-persisting, brownish, erect hairs (velutinous) 0.2–0.4 mm long below, base acute, apex acute to acuminate (acumen 5–10 mm long), primary vein impressed above, secondary veins 8–11, slightly raised above, tertiary veins flat to slightly raised above, reticulate. Inflorescence and flower indument: pedicels and outer side of bracts densely covered with brownish, erect hairs (velutinous) 0.2–0.3 mm long. Inflorescence: flowers not seen. Infructescence bearing 1 fruit, leaf-opposed; fruiting pedicels 20–40 mm long, c. 2 mm diam; basal bract leafy, broadly ovate to ovate, 7–25 by 5–15 mm, upper bract leafy, ovate-triangular, 3–6 by 2–4 mm. Monocarps 5–10, yellow, maturing purplered, ellipsoid to subspherical, 15–30 by 10–20 mm, sparsely covered with erect hairs c. 0.1 mm long, soon glabrous, base attenuate, apex rounded, not constricted between seeds upon drying, wall 2–4 mm thick, stipes 5–12 mm long, 2–4 mm diam. Seeds 3–5, in one row, discoid or hemispherical, 8–11 by 2–3 mm, grooved to slightly pitted.

Distribution — Costa Rica (Alajuela, San José).

Habitat & Ecology — In mid-altitude evergreen forests. At elevations of 700–1300 m. Flowering: unknown; fruiting: October to December.

Vernacular names — Not recorded.

Note — Desmopsis oerstedii is easily recognizable by the combination of a long-persisting indument of erect hairs on young twigs and lower side of the leaves, and large, thick-walled monocarps (wall 2–4 mm thick) with an attenuate base borne on relatively thick stipes (2–4 mm diam).