121. Guatteria pastazae R.E.Fr. — Map 26

Guatteria pastazae R.E.Fr. (1947) 5, t. 2; Erkens et al. (2008) 505, f. 16, pl. 1; Maas & Westra (2011) 137. —

Type: Lugo 181 (holo S; iso G, US), Ecuador, Pastaza, Mera, c. 600 m, 4 Apr. 1940.

Tree 4–30 m tall, 8–60 cm diam; young twigs densely to sparsely covered with appressed hairs, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 3–12 mm long, 2–3 mm diam; lamina narrowly oblong-elliptic to narrowly oblong-obovate, or narrowly ovate, 10–27 by 3–8 cm (leaf index 2.5–4.6), coriaceous to chartaceous, rather densely to sparsely or rarely not verruculose, greyish green, greyish brown or brown above, pale to dark brown below, glabrous above except for some scattered hairs along primary and secondary veins, sparsely covered with appressed hairs below, base attenuate, basal margins often revolute, apex acuminate (acumen 10–15 mm long), primary vein impressed to flat above, slightly keeled below, secondary veins indistinct, 12–17 on either side of primary vein, slightly raised above, smallest distance between loops and margin 1–5 mm, tertiary veins flat to slightly raised above, reticulate. Flowers in 1(–3)-flowered inflorescences in axils of leaves or sometimes on leafless branchlets; pedicels 3–15 mm long, 1–2.5 mm diam, fruiting pedicels to c. 25 mm long, to c. 3 mm diam, densely to rather densely covered with appressed, brown hairs, articulated at 0.2–0.7 from the base, bracts 5–7, soon falling and leaving prominent scars, uppermost bracts elliptic, 6 –12 by 3–6 mm; flower buds ovoid to broadly ovoid; sepals basally connate or free, broadly to shallowly ovate-triangular, 4–10 by 5–8 mm, appressed, but soon becoming spreading to finally reflexed, outer side densely covered with appressed, brown hairs; petals green or greenish yellow and slightly tinged with red in vivo, elliptic-oblong to elliptic-obovate, 12–20{–28} by 6–12 mm, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs; stamens 1.5–2 mm long, connective shield papillate to hairy. Monocarps 10–30, green, maturing purple in vivo, black in sicco, ellipsoid, 11–15{–20} by 7–9{–15} mm, longitudinally wrinkled in sicco, sparsely covered with appressed hairs, soon glabrous, apex acute to apiculate (apiculum <0.5 mm long), wall 0.5–1{–4} mm thick, stipes 1–3(–10) by 1.5–2 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 10–15 by 6–8 mm, pale brown, transversely grooved to pitted, raphe raised.

Distribution — Amazonian Ecuador (Azuay, Morona-Santiago, Pastaza, Sucumbios, Zamora-Chinchipe), Peru (Amazonas, Cajamarca, San Martín), Brazil (Amazonas).

Habitat & Ecology — In premontane or montane forest, rarely in lowland rain forest, on soils derived from sandstone substrate or on red clay. At elevations of 0–2550 m. Flowering: November to May, August; fruiting: June to March.

Vernacular names — Peru: Palo yais (Shuar name) (Ancuash 469), Wampu yais (Shuar name) (Ancuash 469, Kayap 801), Yais (Shuar name) (Kajekai & Wisum 483, Rojas et al. 150, Wisum & Kajekai 726).

Additional specimens examined. BRAZIL, Amazonas, Reserva Florestal Ducke, km 26 of Manaus-Itacoatiara Road, 8 Aug. 1995, Sothers et al. 540 (INPA, U).

Notes — Guatteria pastazae can be recognized by verruculose leaves with obscure venation and by an attenuate leaf base, combined with shortly pedicellate flowers and shortly stipitate monocarps.

Guatteria pastazae shows some features of G. modesta but it differs by its much shorter stipes (stipes shorter than to almost equalling monocarp length vs stipes longer than the monocarp in G. modesta).

After the publication of Erkens’ et al. (2008), the present authors investigated a specimen far removed from Ecuador and Peru, namely Sothers et al. 540 from the lowlands of Amazonian Brazil, near Manaus. As that collection nicely matched with G. pastazae in all essential features (inconspicuous leaf venation, wrinkled fruits, etc.), we included it, thereby extending the known range of G. pastazae to the east.