Tree to 40 m high. Branchlets ochraceous-tomentose or more or less glabrate, in a few varieties glabrous from the first. Stipules geminate or bigeminate, deciduous. Leaves opposite 3-9-jugate; axis 10-35 (-65) cm long, usually bicostate and narrowly canaliculate above, the petiole 4-14 cm long. Leaflets moderately coriaceous or chartaceous, sessile or shortly petiolulate; blades 6.5-17.0 cm long, 1.3-7.0 cm broad, ovate-lanceolate, lanceolate-elliptic, or oblong-elliptic, acute or subacute at the apex, obtuse or attenuate at the base, doubly serrate or crenulate, or occasionally simply indented, the teeth mucronulate; glabrous or more or less pubescent above; more or less densely hirtellous-tomentose beneath, the costa and secondary nerves (10-17 on each side) prominent, the venular reticulum more or less prominent, more or less dense or loose. Inflorescence 3-20 cm long, usually densiflorous, the peduncle 2-8 cm long, tomentose or glabrescent. Branchlets divaricately dichotomous, angulate or striate, tomentose or densely hirtellous. Pedicels 1-3 mm long, shortly pedunculate. Flowers usually unisexual, tetramerous or pentamerous, rarely hexamerous. Expanded calyx 4-7 mm in diam, pubescent-tomentulose outside, minutely tomentulose on the margins, rather densely sericeous inside. Fertile stamens 2.5-4.5 mm long, hyaline-pilose in their lower half. Staminodia 1-2 mm long. Carpels as many as the sepals, usually all developing in female flowers. Follicles subglobose or ovoid-ellipsoid, 2-4 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, densely tomentulose and hispid, monospermous. Endocarp cartilagineous, ellipsoid, 2-3 mm long, 1.8-2.0 mm broad, when dry and open, in U-shape. Seed ellipsoid, 2.0-2.5 × 1.2-1.8 mm. Disc densely hirsutous-tomentose. (Fig 25, p 50). Brunellia comocladifolia is a widespread polymorphic species extending from Costa Rica to southern Colombia and eastwards to the Venezuelan Andes, to the hills of the Gran Sabana and on the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Guadeloupe. This broad distribution and the different geographical patterns indicate a possibly ancient origin, the species at present occupying relict areas of a formerly more extensive and continuous area. (Fig 25, p 50). Brunellia comocladifolia is a widespread polymorphic species extending from Costa Rica to southern Colombia and eastwards to the Venezuelan Andes, to the hills of the Gran Sabana and on the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Guadeloupe. This broad distribution and the different geographical patterns indicate a possibly ancient origin, the species at present occupying relict areas of a formerly more extensive and continuous area. Tree to 40 m high. Branchlets ochraceous-tomentose or more or less glabrate, in a few varieties glabrous from the first. Stipules geminate or bigeminate, deciduous. Leaves opposite 3-9-jugate; axis 10-35 (-65) cm long, usually bicostate and narrowly canaliculate above, the petiole 4-14 cm long. Leaflets moderately coriaceous or chartaceous, sessile or shortly petiolulate; blades 6.5-17.0 cm long, 1.3-7.0 cm broad, ovate-lanceolate, lanceolate-elliptic, or oblong-elliptic, acute or subacute at the apex, obtuse or attenuate at the base, doubly serrate or crenulate, or occasionally simply indented, the teeth mucronulate; glabrous or more or less pubescent above; more or less densely hirtellous-tomentose beneath, the costa and secondary nerves (10-17 on each side) prominent, the venular reticulum more or less prominent, more or less dense or loose. Inflorescence 3-20 cm long, usually densiflorous, the peduncle 2-8 cm long, tomentose or glabrescent. Branchlets divaricately dichotomous, angulate or striate, tomentose or densely hirtellous. Pedicels 1-3 mm long, shortly pedunculate. Flowers usually unisexual, tetramerous or pentamerous, rarely hexamerous. Expanded calyx 4-7 mm in diam, pubescent-tomentulose outside, minutely tomentulose on the margins, rather densely sericeous inside. Fertile stamens 2.5-4.5 mm long, hyaline-pilose in their lower half. Staminodia 1-2 mm long. Carpels as many as the sepals, usually all developing in female flowers. Follicles subglobose or ovoid-ellipsoid, 2-4 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, densely tomentulose and hispid, monospermous. Endocarp cartilagineous, ellipsoid, 2-3 mm long, 1.8-2.0 mm broad, when dry and open, in U-shape. Seed ellipsoid, 2.0-2.5 × 1.2-1.8 mm. Disc densely hirsutous-tomentose.General Information
Source: [
Distribution
Source: [
Flora Neotropica
Distribution
