|
(Last Modified On 11/27/2012)
|
|
|
|
(Last Modified On 11/27/2012)
|
|
Species
|
PRIORIA COPAIFERA Griseb.
|
|
PlaceOfPublication
|
Fl. Brit. W. Ind. 215. 1860.
|
|
Description
|
Trees up to 40 m. high, with spreading crown and large trunk. Leaves 4- (2) - foliolate; petioles about 1-2 cm. long, basally callous-rugose; leaflets elliptic- lanceolate, 6-16 cm. long, 4-8 cm. wide, rounded-obtuse and somewhat unequal basally, bluntly short-acuminate apically; rachis 2-5 cm. long; petiolules 2-6 mm. long. Inflorescence a panicle of many flower-bearing spikes each up to 10 cm. long. Flowers white-yellow, basally bibracteate; bracts broadly orbicular, about 1.5 mm. long, ensheathing the disciferous part of the calyx, often lobed and simulating a calyx; sepals scarious-margined, ciliate, about 2.5 mm. long; petals lacking; stamens 10, about 5 mm. long; filaments basally and internally lightly lanose; anthers or-
|
|
Habit
|
Trees
|
|
Description
|
bicular, biloctular, loculi markedly separated by the connective; ovary subsessile, lightly lanose marginally, with a short attenuate style and inconspicuous stigma. Legume suborbicular, up to 10 cm. long and almost as wide, prominently veined, verrucose, lepidote at least in youth; single seed large, flat, almost filling the pod.
|
|
Distribution
|
Panama to Nicaragua; Colombia; West Indies.
|
|
Specimen
|
BOCAS DEL TORO: Changuinola Valley, Cooper d- Slater III. CANAL ZONE: Barro Colorado Island, Bangham 524, Salvoza 943; Chagres River, Allen 909; Trinidad River, Pittier 397I. DARIE-N: vicinity of Pinogana, Allen 277, 932.
|
|
Note
|
The species is a source of "Copaiba balsam", used medicinally and pharmaco- logically. With some specimens it is stretching the imagination to regard the flowers as apetalous, so much do the bracts simulate a calyx and the calyx a corolla.
|
|
Tag
|
|
|
|
Project Name
|
|
Tag
|
|
|
|