67. Guatteria flexilis R.E.Fr. — Fig. 39; Map 15

Guatteria flexilis R.E.Fr. (1952b) 255. —

Type: Forest Department British Guiana 5603 = Fanshawe 2804 (holo K 2 sheets; iso FDG, K, NY, U), Guyana, Esequibo River, Winiperu Creek, 16 Mar. 1948.

Tree or rarely liana 6–9 m tall, 2.5–12 cm diam; young twigs sparsely covered with appressed hairs, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 4–6 mm long, c. 1 mm diam; lamina narrowly elliptic, 8–17 by 3–6 cm (leaf index 2.2–3.2), chartaceous, scabridulous, dull, grey to greyish brown above, greyish brown below, youngest leaves densely covered with appressed hairs, soon glabrous above, glabrous below, except for some scattered appressed hairs along primary vein, base attenuate, rarely obtuse, apex acuminate (acumen 5–15 mm long), primary vein impressed above, secondary veins distinct, 9–14 on either side of primary vein, impressed to slightly raised above, smallest distance between loops and margin 3–5 mm, tertiary veins flat to slightly raised above, reticulate. Flowers solitary in axils of leaves or on leafless branchlets; pedicels 25–35 mm long, c. 1 mm diam, fruiting pedicels to c. 50 mm long, c. 2 mm diam, sparsely covered with appressed hairs to glabrous, articulated at 0.1–0.2 from the base, bracts 5–7, soon falling, elliptic, basal ones c. 1 mm long, the upper ones to c. 3 mm long, rarely foliaceous and persisting, to c. 20 mm long; flower buds depressed ovoid; sepals free, broadly to shallowly ovate-triangular, 3–4 by 3–5 mm, appressed, outer side rather densely covered with appressed hairs when young, later becoming almost glabrous, except for the hairy margin; petals pale greyish green or yellow in vivo, oblong to elliptic to narrowly so, 10– 26 by 5–10 mm, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs; stamens 1.5–2 mm long, connective shield hairy. Monocarps 10– 50, green, maturing red, to finally black to purple-black in vivo, black to brown in sicco, ellipsoid, 10–14 by 5–6 mm, glabrous, but apex sparsely covered with appressed hairs, apex rounded to apiculate (apiculum <0.5 mm long), wall 0.1–0.2 mm thick, stipes 5–10 by c. 1 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 9–11 by c. 5 mm, shiny, reddish brown to dark brown, smooth to transversely grooved, raphe not distinct from rest of seed.

Distribution — Amazonian Venezuela (Bolívar, Delta Amacuro), Guyana.

Habitat & Ecology — In non-inundated, primary or secondary forest, the type collection from Greenheart (Chlorocardium rodiaei) forest, on sandy or lateritic soil. At elevations of 0– 120 m. Flowering: March to May, August, September; fruiting: February, March, May, September.

Vernacular names — Guyana: Black yariyari (Creole name) (Van Andel et al. 1813), Karishiri (Arawak name) (Forest Department British Guiana 6336 = Fanshawe 3006). Venezuela: Majagua (Ang. Fernández 3949),Yarayara morada (Marcano-Berti 755).

Notes — Guatteria flexilis is well recognizable by its scabridulous, almost completely glabrous leaves combined with relatively long pedicels of up to c. 50 mm long in fruit.

Fries (1939) placed G. flexilis in sect. Dolichocarpus and ‘most nearly connected with Guatteria subsessilis ’.