Couepia Aubl., Hist. Pl. Guiane

Barros, Natália, Menezes, Luis Fernando Tavares de, Sothers, Cynthia & Peixoto, Ariane Luna, 2025, Flora of Espírito Santo: Chrysobalanaceae, Rodriguesia (e 00872024) 76, pp. 1-39 : 4-7

2. Couepia Aubl., Hist. Pl. Guiane 1: 519, t. 221. 1775.

Trees or shrubs. Leaves with abaxial surface of lamina glabrous or with an arachnoid indumentum, stomatal crypts absent, often with 1 or 2 pairs of glands at base and sometimes with small marginal glands near apex, stipules caducous to persistent. Inflorescence usually a congested thyrse, less often a few-flowered spike or raceme, very rarely flowers solitary. Bracts and bracteoles usually persistent, eglandular. Flowers pedicellate. Receptacle tube turbinate to narrowly cylindric, often slightly curved, ventricose, usually glabrous inside except at throat. Sepals usually eglandular. Petals 5. Stamens 15–100 or more, usually in a complete circle, far-exserted, glabrous; staminodes absent or short and filiform. Ovary 1(2–3)-carpellate, inserted laterally at mouth of receptacle mouth, 1-locular; style filiform, far-exserted, indistinctly 3-lobed at apex, hairy for greater part of length. Drupe surface without longitudinal channels, endocarp hard, granular, shortly hairy inside (Prance 2003; Prance & Sothers 2003b).

With 67 species, Couepia is a neotropical g e n u s d i s t r i b u t e d f ro m M e x i c o t o B r a z i l ( Prance & Sothers 2003b; Sothers et al. 2014). In Brazil, the genus comprises 52 species, present in the Caatinga , Cerrado , Atlantic Forest and Amazonian domains ( Sothers & Prance 2023b). In EspÍrito Santo it is represented by five species.