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Pentaclethra macroloba
Pentaclethra macroloba is a large and common leguminous tree in the genus Pentaclethra native to the wet tropical areas of the northern Neotropics, which can form monocultural stands in some seasonally flooded habitats. It has giant, bipinnate leaves shaped like feathers. It uses seed dispersal by water to establish itself in new areas, having floating seeds that are left behind after the waters recede after floods or tides. It has hard timber which is not very resistant to rot in the tropics, but it can be treated, has a pretty pink-red colour when dry, and has a number of uses. Oil used in cosmetics is extracted from the large seeds. In the northern Amazon region the bark is used in herbal medicine as an antivenom, and in the Guianas the bark has been used as a fish poison. Despite their toxicity, the seeds are eaten by variegated squirrels, parrots and macaws, and serve as the nurseries of the larvae of the moth Carmenta surinamensis.
The name Pentaclethra is derived from Ancient Greek, penta meaning 'five', and cleithro meaning 'bolt', which alludes to the five imbricate sepals and five petals joined at their bases; this defines the species of the genus.
The tree is popularly known as pracaxi in the Amazon region of Brazil. In the Arawak language it is known as koroballi, in Sranantongo it is called kroebara. In Spanish it is called gavilán or quebracho.
Pentaclethra macroloba is a tree which can vary in height and size depending on distribution. In Costa Rica it grows to the greatest dimensions and is usually a canopy tree which reaches a trunk diameter of 130 centimetres (51 in), and heights of 30–40 metres (98–131 ft). In Brazil the average height is said to be approximately 14 metres (46 ft), and in the eastern Guianas it is said to grow up to 25 metres (82 ft). In these areas it is a subcanopy tree. This may be due to infraspecific variation.
The canopy or crown is dense and broad.
The twigs are brownish-red, when they are young they are covered in a puberulous indumentum. The twigs are without spines. The 0.7–0.8 cm stipules are deciduous, linear or hair-like.
The large leaves are twice compound, arranged in a spiral on the stems. The leaf blades, which can be up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long, consist of 15 to 20 pairs of first-order pinnae 2–10 centimetres (1–4 in) long, alternately placed on a cylindrical rachis. The petiole is 1–5 cm long, the main rachis is 11–30 cm, when young they are covered in a brown puberulous indumentum. The rachis is angular in profile, and grooved longitudinally on the upper side. The rachillae hava a 1mm-long hinge. There are 30 to 50 pairs of second-order leaflets which are leathery in texture, narrowly falcate, with a pilose to glabrescent indumentum, and multiple linear ribs. Among mimosoids, Pentaclethra are unusual in that they lack nectar glands on the rachis, or anywhere on the leaves.
The inflorescence is a 10 to 25 cm, most often 20 cm long spike, with approximately 320 flowers, each one perfect and complete (containing all the functional male and female parts). The rachis is 15–20 cm long and has 1–5 cm peduncle. The spikes are terminal or subterminal on the branches. Developing spikes are covered in a reddish-brown pubescence.
Pentaclethra macroloba
Pentaclethra macroloba is a large and common leguminous tree in the genus Pentaclethra native to the wet tropical areas of the northern Neotropics, which can form monocultural stands in some seasonally flooded habitats. It has giant, bipinnate leaves shaped like feathers. It uses seed dispersal by water to establish itself in new areas, having floating seeds that are left behind after the waters recede after floods or tides. It has hard timber which is not very resistant to rot in the tropics, but it can be treated, has a pretty pink-red colour when dry, and has a number of uses. Oil used in cosmetics is extracted from the large seeds. In the northern Amazon region the bark is used in herbal medicine as an antivenom, and in the Guianas the bark has been used as a fish poison. Despite their toxicity, the seeds are eaten by variegated squirrels, parrots and macaws, and serve as the nurseries of the larvae of the moth Carmenta surinamensis.
The name Pentaclethra is derived from Ancient Greek, penta meaning 'five', and cleithro meaning 'bolt', which alludes to the five imbricate sepals and five petals joined at their bases; this defines the species of the genus.
The tree is popularly known as pracaxi in the Amazon region of Brazil. In the Arawak language it is known as koroballi, in Sranantongo it is called kroebara. In Spanish it is called gavilán or quebracho.
Pentaclethra macroloba is a tree which can vary in height and size depending on distribution. In Costa Rica it grows to the greatest dimensions and is usually a canopy tree which reaches a trunk diameter of 130 centimetres (51 in), and heights of 30–40 metres (98–131 ft). In Brazil the average height is said to be approximately 14 metres (46 ft), and in the eastern Guianas it is said to grow up to 25 metres (82 ft). In these areas it is a subcanopy tree. This may be due to infraspecific variation.
The canopy or crown is dense and broad.
The twigs are brownish-red, when they are young they are covered in a puberulous indumentum. The twigs are without spines. The 0.7–0.8 cm stipules are deciduous, linear or hair-like.
The large leaves are twice compound, arranged in a spiral on the stems. The leaf blades, which can be up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long, consist of 15 to 20 pairs of first-order pinnae 2–10 centimetres (1–4 in) long, alternately placed on a cylindrical rachis. The petiole is 1–5 cm long, the main rachis is 11–30 cm, when young they are covered in a brown puberulous indumentum. The rachis is angular in profile, and grooved longitudinally on the upper side. The rachillae hava a 1mm-long hinge. There are 30 to 50 pairs of second-order leaflets which are leathery in texture, narrowly falcate, with a pilose to glabrescent indumentum, and multiple linear ribs. Among mimosoids, Pentaclethra are unusual in that they lack nectar glands on the rachis, or anywhere on the leaves.
The inflorescence is a 10 to 25 cm, most often 20 cm long spike, with approximately 320 flowers, each one perfect and complete (containing all the functional male and female parts). The rachis is 15–20 cm long and has 1–5 cm peduncle. The spikes are terminal or subterminal on the branches. Developing spikes are covered in a reddish-brown pubescence.
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