89. Guatteria liesneri D.M.Johnson & N.A.Murray — Map 21

Guatteria liesneri D.M.Johnson & N.A.Murray (1990) 598; Steyerm. et al. (1995) 446; Murillo A. & Restrepo (2000) 101, f. 28. —

Type: Nee 30864a (holo NY; iso F, MO, U, US, VEN), Venezuela, Amazonas, Dep. Río Negro, along Río Baria (= Río Mawarinuma), just upstream from base camp, SW side of Cerro Neblina, 140 m, 15 Feb. 1985.

Guatteria anthracina Scharf & Maas in Scharf et al. (2006a) 118,f. 1; Maas et al. (2007) 642,syn.nov. — Type: Lindeman, Stoffers et al. 429 (holo U; iso BBS,F,K, MO,NY,U, VEN), Suriname,Lely Mts, 550–710 m, 26 Nov.1975.

Guatteria aff. oblonga sensu Maas & Maas-van de Kamer (2002) 62, not R.E.Fr.

Tree 3–30 m tall, 2–45 cm diam; young twigs sparsely covered with appressed or very rarely erect hairs, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 3–7 mm long, 1–2 mm diam; lamina narrowly oblong-elliptic to narrowly ovate, rarely narrowly obovate, 7–22 by 2–8 cm (leaf index 2.4–5), chartaceous, not verruculose, shiny to dull above, black to dark brown above, brown to blackish brown below, sparsely covered with appressed hairs to glabrous above, primary vein densely covered with erect hairs to glabrous, sparsely to rather densely covered with appressed hairs to glabrous below, base obtuse, acute or attenuate, apex acuminate (acumen 5–35 mm long), primary vein slightly impressed or flat above, secondary veins distinct, 7–20 on either side of primary vein (sometimes seemingly more due to large intersecondaries), strongly to slightly raised above, smallest distance between loops and margin 2 –5 mm, tertiary venation raised above, mostly reticulate. Flowers in 1–2(–3)-flowered inflorescences in axils of leaves or sometimes on leafless branchlets; pedicels 10–25 mm long, c. 1 mm diam, fruiting pedicels to c. 35 mm long, 1.5–2 mm diam, densely to sparsely covered with appressed or rarely erect hairs, articulated at 0.2–0.3 from the base, bracts 5–7, soon falling, broadly elliptic to narrowly obovate-elliptic, basal bracts broadly ovate, 1–2 mm long, upper ones to c. 6 mm long; flower buds depressed ovoid; sepals free, broadly ovate-triangular, 3–6 by 3–5 mm, reflexed, outer side densely to sparsely covered with appressed hairs; petals green, maturing yellowish green, yellow or cream in vivo, elliptic to obovate or narrowly so, 12–30 by 5–13 mm, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs; stamens 1–1.5 mm long, connective shield papillate, sometimes slightly umbonate. Monocarps 20–60, green, maturing yellow, red to finally black in vivo, black to dark reddish brown in sicco, ellipsoid, 8–11 by 4–5 mm, densely covered with appressed hairs when young, soon glabrous, apex apiculate (apiculum 0.5–1 mm long), wall 0.1–0.2 mm thick, stipes 10–25 by 0.5–1 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 3–10 by 4–6 mm, pale to dark brown, pitted to transversely grooved, raphe not distinct from rest of seed.

Distribution — Colombia (Amazonas, Antioquia, Guainía, Putumayo, Vaupés), Venezuela (Amazonas, Bolívar), Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Amazonian Ecuador (Morona-Santiago, Napo, Sucumbios), Peru (Amazonas, San Martín), Brazil (Amapá, Amazonas, Pará).

Habitat & Ecology — In non-inundated or rarely periodically inundated lowland forest, but also in premontane or montane forest, on clayey to sandy soil. At elevations of 100–2000 m. Flowering: throughout the year; fruiting: throughout the year.

Vernacular names — Brazil: Envira (L.F. Coêlho INPA 6363). Colombia: Garapato (Zarucchi 3378), Jïrïda (Huitoto name) (Vester & Castro 144), Naqueno (Betancur B. et al. 5298), Pitaruguï (Tukano name), (Urrego B. et al. 1013). Ecuador: Uñitahue (Huaorani name) (M. Aulestia & Bainca 3551).

Notes — Guatteria liesneri is generally easy to recognize by its blackish to dark brown leaves, with mostly a strongly raised tertiary venation. From G. foliosa it differs by often blackish leaves, smaller petioles (3–7 by 1–2 vs 5–15 by 0.5–1 mm) and pitted to transversely grooved instead of smooth seeds.

Guatteria anthracina is united here with G. liesneri as the differences mentioned by Scharf et al. (2006a) including leaf and petiole size, and an acute rather than attenuate leaf base, appeared not to stand up after many intermediate forms turned up with examination of more material.

Material from Antioquia, Colombia, is slightly aberrant in having pedicels that are covered with erect instead of appressed hairs. McPherson et al. 13430 (U) from Antioquia, Colombia and Rangel et al. 12494 (U) from the department of Cesar, Colombia are aberrant in having monocarps and seeds that are somewhat larger than mentioned in the description: monocarps 12–16 by 5–8 mm and seed 13–14 by 6–8 mm!

Juvenile forms of this species tend to have extremely narrow leaves 1.5–2 cm wide, a.o. Scharf 87 (CAY, LZ, U) and Fleury 921 (CAY) from French Guiana.