Eperua schomburgkiana Benth.

Eperua schomburgkiana Bentham

Eperua schomburgkiana Bentham, Fl. Bras. 15(2):226, 1870.

Large shrub or tree 5–36 m tall, the branchlets glabrous, nitid, the stipules 15–43 mm long, 8–22 mm wide, foliose, venulose, coriaceous, deciduous, inequilaterally arcuate-ovate, acute; petioles (13−) 18–25 (−30) mm long, glabrous, the rachis 13–27 cm long, glabrous; leaflets 5- or 6-jugate, the petiolules 6–10 (−12) mm long, glabrous, the blades sometimes irregularly pellucid-punctate, coriaceous to rigid-coriaceous, plane, glabrous, often nitid, (4.5−)7–12(−15) cm long, (2.5−)3.5–5.5 cm wide, all lanceolate or the basal one or two pairs lanceolate with the other pairs elliptic, the base of the lower one to four pairs obtuse to subobtuse, the base of the upper pairs acute, the apex acuminate to long-acuminate, often mucronulate, the venation more or less prominulous; inflorescence a terminal raceme of racemes 5–14 cm long, the lateral ones in same plane, the axes tomentose, the hairs rusty colored and at least some bifid minutely, the bracts and bracteoles caducous, sometimes deciduous, 4.5–5.5 mm long and 4–5 mm wide, broadly ovate or oval, concave, tomentose externally; pedicels 11–27 (−35) mm long, tomentose, the hypanthium cupular 4–7 mm long, 5–10 mm in diameter, tomentulose externally, the nectaries projecting above the hypanthial rim; sepals 22–30 mm long, 6–15 mm wide, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, tomentulose externally, the two outer ones larger, concave; petal white, glabrous, oblate to oblate-obovate, 25–37 mm long, 35–60 mm wide; all stamens apparently fertile, the filaments 45–60 mm long, 9 united in an equilateral tube 10–15 mm long, the tube more or less pilosulose or tomentulose, the anthers oval, glabrous, 4.0–5.5 mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide; gynoecium glabrous or nearly so, the stigma capitate, the style 45 mm long, the ovary 11–15 mm long, 3.5–5 mm wide, rarely a few hairlets on the dorsal margin near the base, oblanceolate, more or less arcuate, the gynophore 917 mm long, glabrous; fruits oblong-oblanceolate, 25 cm long, 8 cm wide, somewhat nitid, glabrous, the carpophore 2 cm long, glabrous; mature seeds not seen.

TYPE COLLECTION.—Robt. Schomburgk 517 (lectotype K, isolectotypes BM, G, K, P, W), “Essequibo & Rupununy. British Guiana, 1838.”

DISTRIBUTION.—Riverine forest on sandy soils in northern Guyana and in adjacent Suriname. Flowering June to October.

GUYANA: Above Arrawarri mouth, west bank of lower Essequibo R., 20 March 1909, Anderson 182 (K, RB); Mazaruni R., no date, Appun 359 (K); upper Mazaruni R., 22 Sept-6 Oct 1922, de la Cruz 2091 (F, GH, NY, US), 2172 (F, GH, NY, US); Mazaruni Station, 10 March 1934, Davis 394 (FD 2390) (K), 7 March 1941, Fanshawe 644 (FD 3380) (K, NY); Tumatumari, Potaro R., 4–6 July 1921, Gleason 332 (GH, NY, US), 394 (NY) and 412 (NY); Penal Settlement, 3–9 Dec 1919, Hitchcock 17089 (GH, US); Mazaruni R., Sept 1880, Jenman 627 (K), June 1889, 5257 (BM, K, NY); Essequibo R., Sept-Oct 1881, Jenman 1336 (K); no locality, June 1924, Persaud 14 (F, NY); Seeba, Oct 1924, Persaud 166 (F, NY, US); Essequibo R., Moraballi Creek near Bartica, 28 Aug 1929, Sandwith 142 (K, NY, RB, U, US); mouth of Moraballi Creek, Essequibo R., 11 Aug 1960, Watson 38 (BM). SURINAME: Corantijn, near mouth of New River, 1 Sept 1935, Rombouts 170 (NY, U); Wanatoba Falls, Corantijn R., 26 June 1956, Schulz 7708 (NY, U, US); Corantijn R., 25 July 1950, Suriname Forestry Bureau 806 (K, U). One collection from Brazil [Pará, west bank of Rio Pacajà, 15 Oct1965, Prance et al 1652 (F, NY, U, US)] is in fruit and, except for its origin far out of the geographic limits of the species, represents it rather well.

LOCAL NAMES AND USES.—Ituri wallaba (Persaud 166); mahaica-bally (Persaud 14); water wallaba (Persaud 166, Schulz 7708).