Eperua venosa Cowan

Eperua venosa Cowan

Eperua venosa Cowan, Mem. N. Y. B. G. 10:148, 1 July 1958.

Large tree to 30 m tall and 60 cm in diameter, the branchlets glabrous; stipules persistent, rigid, connate laterally in a compound, bifid, intrapetiolar body, 4–5 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide, lanceolate-triangular, acute, glabrous externally but sericeous on the inner surface, ciliolate; leaves glabrous, lucid, the petioles (22−)32–45 mm long, the rachis 30–55 mm long, terete; leaflets bijugate, the petiolules (6−)9–13 mm long, the blades pellucid-punctate, plane, coriaceous, (11.5−) 14–22 cm long, (5−)8–9 cm wide, elliptic to broadly elliptic, the apex abruptly or gradually acute to acuminate, sometimes mucronate, the base of the lower pair rounded-obtuse, the upper pair inequilateral basally, obtuse on the lower side but attenuate-acute on the upper side, the venation prominently salient on both blade surfaces; inflorescence a pendent, terminal raceme of racemes (85−)145–188 cm long, the axes minutely puberulous, the lateral racemes 2–4.5 cm long, the bracts early caducous, about 3 mm long and 3.5 mm wide, broadly ovate, ciliolate, strigulose externally, glabrous on the inner surface, the bracteoles caducous, arising in the upper part of the pedicel, ca. 4–4.5 mm long and 4 mm wide, strongly concave, broadly ovate, pubescent as bracts; pedicels 8–15 mm long, gray-sericeous, the hypanthium 4–7 mm long, 6 mm in diameter, minutely sericeous externally, the nectaries projecting just above the hypanthium rim; sepals green with purple tint, the two outer ones broader and cucullate, 20–30 mm long, 9–13 (−17) mm wide, oblong to elliptic-oblong, obtuse, minutely sericeous outside, glabrous within; petal deep rose-colored, 25–34 mm long, 48–60 mm wide, broadly oblate-flabelliform, strigulose externally at the base, glabrous within, the four petalodia ca. 0.8 mm long and wide, semicircular, the margin crenulate; 10 stamens fertile, filaments 40–50 mm long, the staminal tube 8–10 mm long, somewhat arcuate, densely sericeous on the inner and outer surfaces, the base of the free portion of the sterile filaments also sericeous, the anthers 6.5–9 mm long, 3–3.5 mm wide, glabrous; stigma capitate, sometimes obviously bilobed, the style 45–60 mm long, glabrous except at the extreme base, the ovary oblanceolate, 8–10 mm long, 3.5–4.5 mm wide, densely pilose-sericeous, the gynophore pilose-sericeous, 3.5–6 mm long; fruit not seen.

TYPE COLLECTION.—H. R. Kunhardt, Jr., 20 (holotype NY), Angel Falls, Bolivar, Venezuela.

DISTRIBUTION.—Frequent in lowland rain forest in southeastern Venezuela.

VENEZUELA. Bolivar: El Foco, Río Uiri-yuk, 30 August 1962, Maguire et al 53514 (NY, US); Triana Savanna, Cerro Pitón, 5 Sept 1962, Maguire et al 53597 (BR, NY, U, US).

Eperua venosa là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Đậu. Loài này được Cowan miêu tả khoa học đầu tiên.