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Project Name Data (Last Modified On 3/22/2013)
 

Flora Data (Last Modified On 3/22/2013)
Species Astronium graveolens Jacquin
PlaceOfPublication Enum. Syst. P1. Carib. 33, 1760.-Fig. 8.
Synonym Astronium fraxinifolium Schott ex Sprengel in L., Syst. Veg. ed. 16, 4(2):404, 1827.
Description Tree to 35 m high. Leaves 2-7-jugate, the rachis 7-21 cm long (the petiole portion often elongate), the deciduous leaflets opposite (occasionally some alter- nate), with petiolules 1-6 mm long which are glabrous to pilosulous or villosulous; lamina of leaflets lance-oblong, less frequently ovate, acute or more often acumi- nate at the apex (the acumen obtuse to rounded or emarginate), basally obliquely acute to rounded or subtruncate, 4-14 cm long, 1.7-5 cm broad, membranous or subcoriaceous, entire or obscurely and irregularly crenate to serrate, glabrous to conspicuously pilosulous along the main veins below and often also above, occasion- ally generally pilosulous beneath, the secondaries often branching + equally near the margin (dichotomous), the reticulation faint to prominent. Panicles terminal, 7-25 cm long. Flowers male female (staminodes are present in female flowers but a pistillode is absent in male flowers), the pedicels 1-15 mm long, articulated; sepals orbicular or infrequently ovate, 1-1.5 mm long in flower, becoming 9-14 mm long and elliptic to obovate or oblanceolate as the fruit matures, scarious in fruit; petals 1.5-3 mm long, oblong-ovate to elliptic, acute or rounded, ascending to spreading or reflexed; stamens 2-3 mm long, the filaments compressed and subulate, the anthers 1-1.5 mm long; disc flattened (not tumid); ovary ovoid-oblong, 1.5-2 mm long, the styles 0.5-1 mm long, persistent or deciduous, the stigmas small and disciform. Fruit narrowly oblong, 10-15 mm long at maturity, 2-4.5 mm broad, subterete, the mature seed filling the lumen.
Habit Tree
Distribution Southern Mexico, Central America and South America from Colombia to Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay.
Specimen CANAL ZONE: Barro Colorado I, Shattuck 632 (F), 866 (F); Rio Pedro Miguel, nr East Paraiso, Standley 29951 (US). CHIRIQUI: Comarca del Barui, area W of Puerto Ar- muelles, Stern & Chambers 129 (F, MO, US); Finca Lerida to Boquete, Woodson et al. 1109 (F, MO). DARIEN: El Real de Sta. Maria, Pittber 6997 (US). PANAMA: dry, wooded hills around Alhajuela, Pittier 3730 (US); Rio Tapia, Standley 26183 (US); nr Matias Hernandez, Standley 28942 (US); Rio Tocumen, Standley 29377 (US); Juan Diaz, Standley 30550 (US).
Note In both the Flora of Guatemala (Standley and Steyermark, Fieldiana: Bot. 24(6): 180, 1949) and the Flora of Costa Rica (Standley, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 18: 624, 1937), A. graveolens and A. fraxinifolium are recognized as distinct species. In the Flora of Guatemala, however, a question is raised con- cerning the validity of separating specimens of A. fraxinifolium from Mexico and Peten from A. graveolens. The only character supposedly delimiting these species is the pubescence of the leaflets, being pilose in A. fraxinifolium and glabrous or essentially so in A. graveolens. After examination of Mexican, Central American and South American specimens of these taxa (deposited in F and MO), it appears that this distinction is arbitrary, as variation from completely glabrous to con- spicuously pilose may be found in a very restricted geographic area. Specimens with an intermediate degree of pubescence are often encountered. Varietal status is the highest rank which could be accorded A. fraxinifolium. However, the authors have not recognized a variety fraxinifolium as they do not wish to apply formal names to extremes of a continuum of pubescence variation. Wood of this species is of excellent grain and is used in furniture manufacture. It is also used for construction purposes but is apparently not insect resistant.
 
 
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