The World Flora Online

Medium sized to large trees of lower montane Andean forests at ca. 800-1500 m. Flowering specimens collected in August, November, and February, fruits in April, May, June, October, November, and December.

Ex affinitate Endlicheriae sericeae et specierum affinium floribus urceolatis et antheris obovatis distinguenda. Trees to 30 m. Branchlets stout, midway along flush 5-7 mm diam., angular, densely grey to yellowish sericeous, the surface concealed by the indument cover, the hairs short, to 0.2 mm, straight, appressed to ascending; terminal buds plump, 0.4 × 0.4 mm, densely sericeous. Leaves alternate, widely and evenly spaced along current flush; petioles robust, to 4 × 0.3 cm, semi-terete, the indument as on branchlets; laminae chartaceous, or membranaceous, plane, elliptic to obovate, 15-30 × 5-13 cm, the base obtuse, or acute, briefly decurrent, the apex acute, or obtuse, acuminate for up to 2 cm, the margins minutely recurved throughout; upper surface dark olive-brown, the primary to fourth-order veins raised, their prominence decreasing with rank; lower surface densely grey to yellowish sericeous, the hairs as on branchlets, sparser on main veins, all vein orders raised, their prominence decreasing with rank; secondary veins 7-9 per side, ± evenly spaced, slightly more distant around midlamina, ascending at 50-60° (more obtuse towards apex), arcuate, distal pairs loop-connected; tertiaries roughly horizontal, between secondaries straight or forked. Staminate inflorescences evenly spaced along leafless flushes in the axils of cataphylls, to 18 cm long with 12 lateral branches, branch orders 3-4, the highest order dichasial, the flowers loosely crowded, the axes densely pubescent, the indument as on branchlets; bracts and bracteoles persistent at anthesis, ovate, sericeous; pedicels terete, to 3 mm long, those supporting secondary flowers slightly shorter. Flowers urceolate, to 2.5 mm diam., densely yellowish tomentellose; receptacle cyathiform, 2 × 3 mm, constricted below tepals, densely grey-sericeous inside. Tepals chartaceous, narrowly ovate to triangular, 1.5 × 0.5 mm (the inner whorl slightly narrower), erect to spreading at anthesis, the outer surface densely pubescent, the hairs as on receptacle, reduced to a basal triangular patch in the inner whorl, the inner surface grey-tomentose, the margins and apex inside minutely papillose. Stamens of whorls I and II stipitate, 0.6 mm tall, the anthers obovate, 0.3 × 0.3 mm, glabrous, the apex truncate, the connectives broad above the 2 locelli, these suborbicular, introrse, the filaments laminar, narrower than anthers, glabrous; whorl III stamens sessile, 0.6 mm tall, the anthers oblong to obovate, 0.4 × 0.3 mm, erect, locelli 2, extrorse-latrorse, the filaments as broad as anthers, columnar, glabrous, the basal glands sessile, globose; whorl IV wanting; pistillode wanting. Pistillate inflorescence with indument and color as in staminate plants, but shorter and with fewer lateral branches, the flowers similar in size and shape; stamens sterile, smaller, glabrous or the filaments grey-tomentose; ovary glabrous; style slender, distinct from ovary; stigma minutely tri-lobed, 0.3 mm diam. Fruits borne on stout claviform pedicels of up to 1.5 × 0.4 mm; cupules hemispherical, to 1.5 × 2.5 cm, glabrous outside, sericeous inside, the margins entire; drupes ellipsoid, to 4.5 × 2.5 cm. Trees to 30 m. Branchlets stout, midway along flush 5-7 mm diam., angular, densely grey to yellowish sericeous, the surface concealed by the indument cover, the hairs short, to 0.2 mm, straight, appressed to ascending; terminal buds plump, 0.4 × 0.4 mm, densely sericeous. Leaves alternate, widely and evenly spaced along current flush; petioles robust, to 4 × 0.3 cm, semi-terete, the indument as on branchlets; laminae chartaceous, or membranaceous, plane, elliptic to obovate, 15-30 × 5-13 cm, the base obtuse, or acute, briefly decurrent, the apex acute, or obtuse, acuminate for up to 2 cm, the margins minutely recurved throughout; upper surface dark olive-brown, the primary to fourth-order veins raised, their prominence decreasing with rank; lower surface densely grey to yellowish sericeous, the hairs as on branchlets, sparser on main veins, all vein orders raised, their prominence decreasing with rank; secondary veins 7-9 per side, ± evenly spaced, slightly more distant around midlamina, ascending at 50-60° (more obtuse towards apex), arcuate, distal pairs loop-connected; tertiaries roughly horizontal, between secondaries straight or forked. Staminate inflorescences evenly spaced along leafless flushes in the axils of cataphylls, to 18 cm long with 12 lateral branches, branch orders 3-4, the highest order dichasial, the flowers loosely crowded, the axes densely pubescent, the indument as on branchlets; bracts and bracteoles persistent at anthesis, ovate, sericeous; pedicels terete, to 3 mm long, those supporting secondary flowers slightly shorter. Flowers urceolate, to 2.5 mm diam., densely yellowish tomentellose; receptacle cyathiform, 2 × 3 mm, constricted below tepals, densely grey-sericeous inside. Tepals chartaceous, narrowly ovate to triangular, 1.5 × 0.5 mm (the inner whorl slightly narrower), erect to spreading at anthesis, the outer surface densely pubescent, the hairs as on receptacle, reduced to a basal triangular patch in the inner whorl, the inner surface grey-tomentose, the margins and apex inside minutely papillose. Stamens of whorls I and II stipitate, 0.6 mm tall, the anthers obovate, 0.3 × 0.3 mm, glabrous, the apex truncate, the connectives broad above the 2 locelli, these suborbicular, introrse, the filaments laminar, narrower than anthers, glabrous; whorl III stamens sessile, 0.6 mm tall, the anthers oblong to obovate, 0.4 × 0.3 mm, erect, locelli 2, extrorse-latrorse, the filaments as broad as anthers, columnar, glabrous, the basal glands sessile, globose; whorl IV wanting; pistillode wanting. Pistillate inflorescence with indument and color as in staminate plants, but shorter and with fewer lateral branches, the flowers similar in size and shape; stamens sterile, smaller, glabrous or the filaments grey-tomentose; ovary glabrous; style slender, distinct from ovary; stigma minutely tri-lobed, 0.3 mm diam. Fruits borne on stout claviform pedicels of up to 1.5 × 0.4 mm; cupules hemispherical, to 1.5 × 2.5 cm, glabrous outside, sericeous inside, the margins entire; drupes ellipsoid, to 4.5 × 2.5 cm.