177. Guatteria sp. 2

Tree 10–12 m tall, 5–15 cm diam; young twigs densely covered with erect, brown hairs, soon glabrous. Leaves: petiole 4–10 mm long, 1–2 mm diam; lamina narrowly elliptic, 14–20 by 4–6.5 cm (leaf index 2.8–3.5), chartaceous, not verruculose, dull, greyish above, brown below, densely covered with appressed hairs to glabrous above, sparsely covered with appressed hairs to glabrous below, base acute to slightly attenuate, apex acuminate (acumen 5–15 mm long), primary vein impressed above, secondary veins distinct, 15–17 on either side of primary vein, slightly impressed above, smallest distance between loops and margin c. 2 mm, tertiary veins flat above, reticulate. Flowers in 1–2-flowered inflorescences in axils of leaves; pedicels 7–15 mm long, c. 1 mm diam, fruiting pedicels to c. 15 mm long, to c. 1 mm diam, densely covered with appressed and erect, brown hairs, articulated at c. 0.3 from the base, bracts not seen; flower buds subglobose; sepals free, broadly ovate-triangular, 7–8 by 6 mm, appressed, but apex reflexed, outer and inner side densely covered with appressed and erect, brown hairs, inner base glabrous; petals green in vivo, ovate-elliptic, 7–10 by 5–7 mm, both sides densely covered with appressed and erect, brown hairs, except for the inner glabrous base; stamens c. 1.5 mm long, connective shield papillate. Monocarps 8–10, colour in vivo not recorded, black in sicco, ellipsoid, 15– 20 by 5 mm, glabrous, apex apiculate (apiculum <0.5 mm long), wall not measured, stipes 15–20 by c. 5 mm. Seed not seen.

Distribution — Colombia (Meta, Vichada).

Habitat & Ecology — In forest (?).At elevations of 100–350 m. Flowering: January, February, April; fruiting: June.

Vernacular names — Not recorded.

Notes — Guatteria sp. 2 was examined in several herbaria during a visit by the first author to Colomba in 2013, all specimens having been incorrectly named G. ferruginea, a species from SE Brazil. It is very well marked by a dense indument of erect and appressed, brown hairs on many parts of the plant. The petals, too, are also hairy on both sides, except for the completely glabrous inner base. Since Colombian Government regulations do not permit herbarium material to be sent abroad we were unable to complete the study properly through a formal description and designation of a type.

It involves the following collections: Aldona & Stevenson 10 (ANDES, COL), Cabrera R. 1991 (COL), 2522 (COL), Correa-Gómez 87 (COL), 128 (COL), all from the state of Vichada and Aldona & Stevenson 22 (ANDES, COL) from Meta.