Vantanea maculicarpa (Humiriaceae): A new tree species from French Guiana

Abstract

A new species of Humiriaceae, Vantanea maculicarpa, growing in French Guiana terra-firme forest is described and illustrated. This new species is distinguished from all other species of Vantanea by fruits covered by white lenticels, a character so far unknown in this genus. It also presents a pubescent intrastaminal disk, a feature encountered in two other Vantanea species only: it is further distinguished from V. parviflora, the morphologically most similar species, by more stamens and from V. ovicarpa by a much smaller rough endocarp with five valves. A key to the species of French Guiana and the IUCN status Least Concern (LC) are proposed.