Platymiscium yucatanum Standl.

Klitgaard, B. (2005). Platymiscium (Leguminosae: Dalbergieae): Biogeography Systematics, Morphology, Taxonomy and Uses. Kew Bulletin, 60(3), 321-400. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4111062

Type

Mexico. Yucatán: Izamal, Feb., Gaumer 377 (holotype US; isotypes BM, F, GH, K, NY).

Morphology General Habit

Tree to 18 m tall, to 46 cm in diameter; bark grey- brown, fissured; wood: sapwood cream-white, heartwood red; internodes of juvenile branchlets solid

Morphology Leaves

Leaves usually opposite, rarely 3-verticillate, 5(- 7)- foliolate; vegetative parts glabrous; leaf axis 3.5- 9 cm long, petiole equalling rachis in length; stipules oblong to very narrowly triangular, 4- 7 x 1 - 3 mm, caducous; stipels not seen; juvenile petiolule bases with food bodies; leaflets elliptic, distal leaflet larger than others, 2 - 6(- 8) x 1 - 4.5 cm, base rounded, apex acuminate, veinlets of areoles with sharp edges intermixed or not intermixed with dots, primary vein flush with to prominent on upper surface, lamina dark green, upper surface, glossy, lower dull

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences of densely flowered, pendulous, axillary, simple 20 - 40- flowered racemes, with 2 - 10 racemes per leaf axil, inflorescences curl up during drying; inflorescence axis slender, smooth, dark brown, glabrate to hirtellous, 4- 7 cm long, including an up to 1 cm long 383 peduncle; bracts narrowly oblong, 1 x 1/2 mm, hirtellous, caducous before flower anthesis; bracteoles narrowly oblong, hirtellous, 1/2 x 1/4 mm, caducous before flower anthesis

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers 6- 9 mm long, robust, pedicellate; pedicels 2 - 3 mm long, brown, hirtellous, articulated from calyx base, persistent after flower fall; calyx bell-shaped, 3 - 5 mm long, outer surface glabrate to hirtellous, teeth margins and inner surface of teeth hirsute, base attenuate, 5-toothed, all teeth similar shape, rounded; corolla yellow or orange; standard orbicular, 7 - 8 x 5 - 7 mm, short- or long- clawed; wing petals 6- 7 x 3 mm; keel petals 6 x 2 - 3 mm, long-clawed, adnate along part of lower margins, ciliate along free part of margins; androecium monadelphous; anthers dimorphic; ovary long- stipitate, pilose all over

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Samara narrowly elliptic, 4 - 4.5 x 1.25 - 1.5 cm, glabrous, base and apex acuminate (base tapers into stipe); stipe 6 - 10 mm long; seed 1.5 - 2 x 0.5 - 1 cm, oblong.

Distribution

Grows in Mexico in the States of Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Campeche, and in Guatemala in the Department of El Petén.

Ecology

Very frequent in low humid, deciduous forest, sometimes in inundated forest, and sometimes near rivers or lakes, at 55 - 300 m.

Phenology

The prolific flowering has been recorded in February and March, and in June. Fruit set has been recorded in April.

Conservation

VU A2cd - vulnerable because of a population size reduction of 30% over the last 10 years due to a decline in area of occupancy, extent of occurrence and/or quality of habitat, and due to actual and potential levels of exploitation.

Vernacular

Granadillo (Guatemala); Subinche or Zubinché (Mexico).

Note

Food bodies are present in large quantities on juvenile trees. Platymiscium yucatanum is similar to P. dimorphandrum from which it differs in having short, dense (vs. long and lax) inflorescences and flowers 6 - 9 mm long (vs. 9 - 12 mm long)

P. yucatanum differs from P. jejunum in the latter bearing leaves while flowering (vs. leafless while flowering), broadly ovate (vs. oblong to narrowly triangular) stipules, robust, thick inflorescence axes (vs. slender, short ones which curl up during when drying), 0 - 1 mm (vs. 2 - 3 mm) long pedicels, and by having 5 - 7 mm (vs. 6 - 9 mm) long flowers.