98. Guatteria microcarpa Ruiz & Pav. ex G.Don — Map 20

Guatteria microcarpa Ruiz & Pav. ex G. Don (1831) 100; R.E.Fr. (1939) 337, f. 7c, d; Erkens et al. (2008) 503, f. 15. —

Type: Ruiz L. s.n. (holo B; iso BR, G, HAL), Ecuador, Guayas, Guayaquil (‘Huayaquil’), anno 1800.

Guatteria sodiroi Diels (1907) 42; R. E.Fr. (1939) 338, f. 7a, b, syn. nov. — Type: Sodiro 18 (holo B 2 sheets), Ecuador, Chimborazo, Pallatanga, 400–500 m, Sept. 1891.

Guatteria sp. 15 Chatrou et al. (1997) 112.

Tree or shrub 2–8(–14) m tall, to c. 10 cm diam; young twigs densely to sparsely covered with erect, brown hairs, eventually glabrous. Leaves: petiole 3–6 mm long, 1–2 mm diam; lamina narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate, 10–25 by (3–) 5–10 cm (leaf index 2–3.6), chartaceous, not verruculose, somewhat shiny, dark green, greyish green or greyish brown above, pale to dark brown below, sparsely covered with appressed and erect hairs, particularly along primary and secondary veins above, rather densely to sparsely covered with erect, brown hairs below, base obtuse, sometimes acute, apex acuminate (acumen 5–20 mm long), primary vein impressed above, secondary veins distinct, 10–15 on either side of primary vein, impressed to sometimes flat above, smallest distance between loops and margin 2– 5 mm, tertiary veins slightly raised above, reticulate. Flowers in 1(–3)-flowered inflorescences in axils of leaves or on leafless branchlets; pedicels 20–50 mm long, 0.5–2 mm diam, fruiting pedicels to c. 65 mm long, c. 3 mm diam, densely covered with erect hairs, becoming glabrous in age or not, articulated at 0.2–0.3 from the base, bracts c. 5, soon falling, uppermost bract elliptic, c. 4 mm long, basal bract broadly ovate-elliptic, c. 1 mm; flower buds broadly ovoid; sepals free or basally connate, broadly ovate-triangular, 5–7{–9} by 5–7{–9} mm, appressed to spreading, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs; petals green, maturing cream in vivo, elliptic-obovate to obovate-oblong, 12–23 by 8–15 mm, outer side densely covered with appressed hairs; stamens 1.5–2 mm long, connective shield papillate to hairy. Monocarps 30–50, dark green, maturing black to purple-black in vivo, black in sicco, ellipsoid, 8–10 by 5–6 mm, glabrous, except for some scattered, appressed hairs, particularly at the apex, apex apiculate (apiculum <0.5 mm long), wall 0.2–0.3 mm thick, stipes red to purple, 12–25 by c. 1 mm. Seed ellipsoid, 8–9 by 5–6 mm, pale to dark brown, pitted, raphe slightly raised.

Distribution — Western Ecuador (Cañar, Cotopaxi, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, Napo?), adjacent Colombia (Nariño).

Habitat & Ecology — In non-inundated, lowland or premontane, primary or secondary forest (‘bosque húmedo tropical’ or ‘bosque muy húmedo premontano’).At elevations of 0–1000 m. Flowering: throughout the year; fruiting: throughout the year.

Vernacular name — Ecuador: Punta de lanza.

Uses — Ecuador: Sap of the leaves is used to cure wounds (‘El zumo de las hojas se usa para curar heridas’) (Alvarez et al. 89). Fishing rods are made of the stems (‘El tallo sirve para hacer lanzas para pescar’) (Cornejo & Bonifaz 4869).

Notes — Guatteria microcarpa was placed by Fries in sect. Trichoclonia because of the rather conspicuous brown hairs on the young twigs. Apart from the indument, it can be recognized by leaves with impressed secondary veins on the upper side, and by relatively long and slender pedicels.

We have added G. sodiroi in the synonymy as almost all features fit very well within the concept of G. microcarpa, the only minor difference being an acute leaf base instead of obtuse, as is mostly the case in G. microcarpa. However, in G. microcarpa an acute leaf base occurs occasionally, too.

One collection from Napo, Ecuador, Bensman 210 (MO) may belong here.