Clusia candelabrum Planchon & Triana (1860: 348)

Cabral, Fernanda Nunes, Bittrich, Volker & Hopkins, Michael John Gilbert, 2017, Clusiaceae s. l. (Calophyllaceae, Clusiaceae s. s. and Hypericaceae) in the Viruá National Park, Roraima, Brazil, Phytotaxa 329 (1), pp. 1-27 : 8

3.1 Clusia candelabrum Planchon & Triana (1860: 348) ( Fig. 3A–B )

Type:— BRAZIL. Amazonas: Rio Uaupés prope Panuré, October 1852 – January 1853, fl., Spruce 2431 (holotype P: barcode 01901134, isotype: GOET, barcode 003940).

= Clusia grandifolia Engler (1888: 429) .

Hemiepiphytes up to 5 m, roots stilt. Exudate creamy-white. Leaf blade coriaceous, galls usually present, ellipticaloboval to oblanceolate, 16–24 × 8.1–12.5 cm, apex rounded, base acute; exudate channels conspicuous on both surfaces, distant 2–4 mm; secondary veins conspicuous on both surfaces, 39–58 pairs, distant 2.8–4 mm; petiole 24.4–36.9 mm long. Inflorescence: staminate plants with clustered flowers; pistillate plants with solitary or clustered flowers; pedicels 2.0– 2.4 cm long. Sepals 4–5, 8.2–13.9 × 9.2–14.8 mm, white. Petals 5, 25–30 mm long, white and red. Staminate flowers with more than 50 fertile resiniferous stamens, united at the base, with sessile anthers at the top; pistillode conspicuous and higher than stamens; pollen mixed with oil or resin. Pistillate flowers with more than 20 resiniferous staminodes, 3.5–4.0 mm long, united at the base; stigma 5, 5–7 mm long, with conspicuous space at the apex. Fruit oblong to cylindrical, 3.2–4.0 × 3–3.5 cm; sepals, petals, staminodes and stigma persistent. Seeds with orange aril.

Phenology:—Flowering May to September; fruiting January, April and October to November.

Distribution and habitat:— Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. In Brazil, it occurs in the north region (states of Amazonas, Rondônia and Roraima). In VNP, it has been found in flooded areas.

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Roraima: Caracaraí, Viruá National Park, 1º25’11’’N, 60º51’20.6’’W, 18 January 2011, fr., Cabral et al. 345 (INPA).

Additional specimens:— BRAZIL. Amazonas: Camanau / Curiau , 28 June 1987, fl., Grenard et al. 9786 ( INPA) ; Presidente Figueiredo, Rio Uatumã , 1º2’S, 59º60’W, 19 March 1986, fr., Ferreira et al. 6877 ( INPA) ; Lábrea, Bacia do Rio Purus , 07º16’S, 64º47’W, 29 October 1968, fr., Prance et al. 8060 ( INPA) ; Ibid. , 9 July 1971, fl., Prance et al. 14021 ( INPA) ; Rio Negro , 0º14’S, 66º48’W, 15 May 1973, fl., Silva et al. 1644 ( INPA) ; Manaus-Itacoatiara , 02º05’S, 60º05’W, 4 April 1967, fr., Prance et al. 4774 ( INPA) ; Ibid., 02º46’S, 59º38’W, 14 October 1966, fr., Prance et al. 3158 ( INPA). Rondônia: Rio Madeira , 06º59’S, 62º42’W, 18 September 1962, fl., Duarte 7104 ( INPA) .

Taxonomic notes: — Clusia candelabrum is easily distinguishable from other Clusia species that occur in VNP. Its leaf blade is larger than in the other species, with the exception of C. insignis . Furthermore, C. candelabrum is the only species in which tertiary veins are conspicuous.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Clusia candelabrum (A. Staminate flower; B. Fruit), Clusia insignis (C. Habit with pistillate and staminate flower; D. Staminate flower; E. Fruit; photos from specimens collected in Gran Sabana, Venezuela, Amaral & Bittrich 91-26) and Clusia lopezii (F. Pistillate flower; G. Staminate flower; H. Fruit).