Platonia insignis Martius (1829: 169)

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 : 16

5.1 Platonia insignis Martius (1829: 169) ( Fig. 5D–E )

Lectotype (designated by Rijckevorsel 2002: 813):— BRAZIL. Pará : s.d., fl., Martius 2596 ( M, barcode 0086228).

= Aristoclesia esculenta Stuntz (1912: 58) .

= Moronobea esculenta Arruda , nom. inval.

= Platonia esculenta (Arruda) Oken (1841: 1431) .

Trees up to 20 m. Exudate dark yellow. Lamina subcoriaceous, oboval to elliptical, 7–11.7 × 3.7–7.8 cm, apex slightly acuminate, acute, obtuse or rounded, base acute; exudate channels conspicuous only on the abaxial surface, with dark lines, between the secondary veins, distant 0.3–0.9 mm; secondary veins prominent, conspicuous on both surfaces, 50–76 pairs, distant 1–1.5 mm; petiole 12.5–26.8 mm long. Flowers pedicellate, 41.1–45.5 × 29.1–42.0 mm. Sepals 7.0–8.6 × 6.0–12.0 mm, yellow-cream, not united at the base. Petals 37.1–42.0 × 38.5–42.0 mm, pink to cream, apex cream, contorted. Stamens in 5 fascicles, with 97–110 stamens each, ca. 40 mm long; anthers 6.0– 15.3 mm long, exuding oil. Ovary 14.2–14.4 × 8.8–10.3 mm; annular nectary around the ovary base, 3.7–7.0 mm long, stigma 1.8–2.0 mm long, with a pore at the apex. Fruit oblong to cylindrical, 7.3–11.5 × 6.2–8.4 cm.

Phenology:—Flowering August to November; fruiting December to March.

Distribution and habitat:— Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela. In Brazil, it occurs in the north region (states of Pará and Roraima), and in the northeast region (state of Maranhão). In VNP, it is found in white-sand vegetation and terra-firme forest.

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Roraima: Caracaraí, Viruá National Park , elevation 62 m, 1º22’03’’N, 60º59’13’’W, 4 December 2009, fr., Cabral et al. 110 ( INPA) ; Ibid., 10 October 2010, fl., Cabral et al. 292 ( INPA) ; Ibid., 2 November 2010, fl., Cabral et al. 327 ( INPA) .

Additional specimens:— BRAZIL. Amazonas : Manaus, Colônia Santo Antônio, 14 August 1968, fl., Rodrigues et al. 8520 ( INPA) ; Ibid., Estrada Manaus-Itacoatiara , km 10, 18 August 1970, fl., Rodrigues et al. 8909 ( INPA) ; Barcelos , Parque Estadual Serra do Aracá, 6 March 1984, fr., Rodrigues et al. 10602 ( INPA) .

Taxonomic notes:— Platonia insignis is easily recognized when flowering. In addition to a colored and abundant exudate, the flowers are large and showy and the stamens, grouped in fascicles, are very numerous (about 100 per fascicle). The species could be confused with Moronobea Aublet (1775: 788) , the flowers of which are very similar and are also pollinated by parakeets. However, the number of stamens per fascicle is much lower in Moronobea than in Platonia (3–4 stames/fascile in Moronobea , vs. ∞ stamens/fascicle in Platonia ). The two genera could be combined into one as they are morphologically very similar and belong to the same clade within the tribe Symphonieae ( Clusiaceae ) ( Ruhfel et al. 2011).

6 Symphonia L.f. (1781: 49).

Type: Symphonia globulifera Linnaeus filius (1781: 302).

Trees with stilt roots; exudate bright yellow. Perulae present, protecting the terminal buds, resulting in groups of scars on the branches. Leaves opposite, secondary veins conspicuous; exudate channels conspicuous. Inflorescence terminal or axillary or solitary flowers. Flowers hermaphrodite; sepals 5, petals 5, contorted, free but tube-like closed and forming a chamber. Stamens arranged in fascicles of 3 stamens each, all united at the base, forming a staminal tube and with 5 carnose lobes to which the long anthers are abaxially attached. Ovary with 5 locules, style terminating in a head of 5 radiating branches, stigmas forming cylindrical lobes, each with an apical pore. Fruit a berry. Seeds 1–8, with hairy-like testa.

Neotropical; with ca. 22 species ( Kearns 1998c) and one species in Brazil ( BFG 2015).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Clusia renggerioides (A. Habit; B. Pistillate flower; C. Staminate flower), D. Platonia insignis (D. Habit; E. Flower) and Symphonia globulifera (F. Habit; G. Flower).