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12. PSEUDEPHEDRANTHUS Aristeg., Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 18(2): 43, fig. 10. 1969.

by Julian A. Steyermark

Trees with glabrous stems and leaves. Leaves shiny and midvein raised on upper surface, secondary veins widely spaced and 5--9 on either side of the midvein. Inflorescence axillary, sessile. Pedicels articulate above the basal bract, furnished with a few (ca. 3) bracts below the middle and above the articulation. Flowers bisexual or staminate (plants androdioecious), staminate flowers with a conical, acute receptacle. Sepals 3, valvate; petals 6, subequal, free, imbricately biseriate, sericeous. Stamens numerous (few in bisexual flowers), the anther locules linear, not locellate; outer and middle stamens with the connective ligulate at apex; interior stamens with connective truncate-dilated at apex. Bisexual flowers with numerous carpels; ovule solitary, basal, erect. Monocarps short-stipitate, 1-seeded.

Endemic to the Guayana Shield in southwestern Venezuela and adjacent Brazil; 1 species.

Pseudephedranthus fragrans (R.E. Fr.) Aristeg., Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 18: 43, fig. 10A--P. 1969. ---Ephedranthus fragrans R.E. Fr., Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 9: 327. 1957.

Tree 15 m; leaves elliptic, membranous-chartaceous; flowers white, fragrant; fruit oblong, orange. Evergreen lowland forests, ca. 100--200 m; Amazonas (Piedra Nunca north of Piedra Cocuy). Brazil (Amazonas: base of Serra da Neblina). Fig. 383.


13. PSEUDOXANDRA R.E. Fr., Acta Horti Berg. 12: 222. 1939.

by Julian A. Steyermark

Trees or shrubs. Flowers solitary or in few-flowered inflorescences, axillary; pedicels very short, articulate, with distichous bracts below the articulation but none above. Flower buds globose; flowers small, bisexual; receptacle convex-hemispheric, truncate at the apex. Sepals small, imbricate; petals 6, imbricate, ovate-suborbicular, the inner ones thicker. Stamens numerous, anther locules linear, not locellate; connective dilated above the locules, disk-shaped. Carpels several or numerous; ovule 1, lateral, usually attached to the top of the ovary, pendulous. Monocarps globose, shortly stipitate, 1-seeded.

Tropical South America, principally the Amazon basin; 9 species, 2 in Vene-zuela, both in the flora area.

Key to the Species of Pseudoxandra

1. Base of leaf blades usually rounded; secondary and tertiary venation ob-solete...P. coriacea

1. Base of leaf blades acute or cuneate; secondary and tertiary venation evi-dent, even though sometimes inconspicuous...P. polyphleba

Pseudoxandra coriacea R.E. Fr., Acta Horti Berg. 12: 226. 1937.

Tree 10 m; leaves 10--15 × 3.2--5 cm; monocarps globose, ca. 1 cm diameter. Riparian forests, ca. 100--200 m; Amazonas (Río Pasimoni, Río Siapa). Amazonian Brazil. Fig. 384.

Pseudoxandra polyphleba (Diels) R.E. Fr., Acta Horti Berg. 12: 230. 1937. ---Unonopsis polyphleba Diels, Verh. Bot. Vereins Prov. Brandenburg 47: 131. 1905. ---Cremastosperma polyphlebum (Diels) R.E. Fr., Acta Horti Berg. 10: 331. 1931. ---Yadayada (Yekwana).

Pseudoxandra guianensis (R.E. Fr.) R.E. Fr., Acta Horti Berg. 12: 228, figs. 1a--i, 2a. 1937. ---Cremastosperma guianense R.E. Fr., Acta Horti Berg. 12: 205. 1934.

Pseudoxandra lucida R.E. Fr., Acta Horti Berg. 12: 230, fig. 3a--e. 1937.

Shrub or tree to 20 m; leaves oblanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 10--16 × 2.5--5 cm; monocarps globose, 1--2 cm diameter, turning from yellow-green to purple when mature. Periodically flooded riparian and evergreen lowland forests, 100--400 m; Bolívar (Río Caroní), Amazonas (Culebra, Río Pasimoni basin). Guyana, Peru, Brazil.