Trichilia havanensis Jacq., Enum. Fl. Carib.

Pennington, Terence D., 2016, Systematic Treatment Of American Trichilia (Meliaceae), Phytotaxa 259 (1), pp. 18-162 : 34-36

1. Trichilia havanensis Jacq., Enum. Fl. Carib. 20 (1760); T. D.Penn., Fl. Neotrop. 28: 112 (1981). Type:— CUBA. Havana, st., Jacquin s.n. (holotype BM). Map 1

For synonymy see FN 28: 112 (1981). Illustration: FN 28: 114, fig. 16.

Abbreviated Description. Indumentum of simple hairs, petiole and rhachis usually narrowly winged, leaflets (3–)5– 11(–15), opposite, mostly 5–10 cm long, 2–4 cm broad, usually oblanceoloate, drying pale green, inflorescence 0.5– 2.5(–7) cm long, umbellate or fasciculate, petals (3–)4–5, (2.5–)3–5(–5.5) mm long, free, imbricate, filaments fused to halfway or completely fused, anthers (7–)8–10–11), nectary a small annulus, ovary usually 3-locular, glabrous, locules with 1–2 collateral ovules, fruit 0.7–1.7 cm long, mostly 3-valved, ovoid to globose, or trigonous, glabrous, 1–2 collateral seeds in each valve, small fleshy arillode extends along the adaxial surface of the seed; seed endospermous.

Distribution & Ecology. Mexico (Sinaloa and Tamaulipas), through Central America to Colombia and northern Venezuela, also in the Greater Antilles (except Puerto Rico), introduced elsewhere as an ornamental street tree. The species has a very wide ecological tolerance from lowland rain forest, wet montane forest (up to 2000 m elevation) to tropical deciduous forest. It is often found in disturbed areas.

MAP 1. Distribution of Trichilia havanensis Jacq. Solid dots, distribution pre-1981, open dots new records 1981–2010.

Representative Additional Collections. MEXICO. Chiapas: Municipio Ocosingo, Chajúl Station (NW1690), Martinez & Ramos 26276 (K). Guerrero: Municipio Leonardo Bravo, 29 km W of Chilpancingo (NW1799), Thomas & Contreras 3719 (K). Hidalgo: Pachuca to Tampico, S of Huejutla (NW2098), Croat & Hannon 66007 (K).

GUATEMALA. Escuintla: between Palin and Escuintla, 2 km before Quetzal de Piedra (NW1490), Castillo 1033 (K). Petén: NW of Lago Petén Itza (NW1789), Wallnöfer et al. 9670 (K).

BELIZE. Belize: Cayo District, Chiquibul Forest Reserve (NW1689), Ibañez et al. A8 (MEXU); 1.5 km S of Bermudian Landing Village (NW1788), Lyon 22 (K).

HONDURAS. Atlántida: between Tocoa and La Ceiba, at Rio Sambo (NW1586), Croat & Hannon 64568 (K). Comayagua: Cordillera de Montecillos Biological Reserve (NW1488), Hawkins et al. 543 (K). Francisco Morazán: 3 km NE of Tegucigalpa (NW1487), Hernandez 36 (K). Ocotépeque: between Agua Caliente and Santa Rosa de Copán (NW1489), Croat & Hannon 63820 (K). Olancho: Rio Olancho NW of Puente Boqueron (NW1486), Croat & Hannon 64070 (K). Yoro: 27 miles W of Olanchito, Rio San Juan crossing (NW1586), Davidse et al. 35530 (K).

EL SALVADOR. Ahuáchapan: Lago de Ninfas, NW of Juayua (NW1389), Davidse et al. 37410 (K). Chalatenango: Citala, Rio Lempa (NW1489), Renderos et al. 546 (K). La Libertad: Jardín Botánico La Laguna (NW1389), Renderos 506 (K). Santa Ana: San José Ingenio, P.N. Montecristo (NW1489), Martinez 848 (MO).

NICARAGUA. Granada: Laguna Blanca, road to Juan Tallo (NW1185), Moreno 7249 (K). Madriz: W slopes of Volcán de Somoto (NW1386), Araquistain & Moreno 2071 (K). Matagalpa: 10 km NW of Cuatro Esquinas (NW1385), Guzman et al. 876 (K).

COSTA RICA. Alajuela: San Pedro de San Ramón, Las Masas (NW1084), Carjaval 299 (K). Guanacaste: Guanacaste National Park, Cerro El Hacha (NW1185), Espinoza 251 (K). Puntarenas: Monteverde, Rio San Luis valley (NW1084), Haber 1398 (K).

PANAMA. Bocas del Toro: region of Cerro Colorado, above Camp Chami (NW0881), McPherson 9599 (K). Chiriquí: vicinity of Fortuna Dam (NW0882), McPherson 10414 (K).

CUBA. Camaguey: NE Sierra de Cubitas (NW2177), Rico et al. 2038 (K).

Relationships. On morphological grounds this species was considered to be isolated ( Pennington et al. 1981: 117). It has a number of unusual features including the narrowly winged leaf rhachis, fasciculate inflorescence, seed with small adaxial arillode and presence of endosperm. The ITS analysis confirms its isolated position at the end of a long branch and sister to the whole of the rest of Trichilia , including the African species.

In a study of the pollination and floral biology of the species ( Puentes et al. 1993), it was noted that the most likely pollinator is the honey bee ( Apis mellifera ), and that although the species is normally dioecious, as in most species of Trichilia , occasionally normally male plants revert and become female.

MAP 2. Distribution of Trichilia casaretti C.DC. Solid dots, distributiion pre-1981, open dots new records 1981–2010.