ANAXAGOREA A. St.-Hil., Nouv. Bull. Sci. Soc. Philom.

Paris
1825: 91. 1825.

by Julian A. Steyermark and Paul E. Berry

Shrubs or small to medium-sized trees. Leaves chartaceous
or subcoriaceous. Inflorescence axillary, sometimes leaf-
opposed or terminal, occasionally cauliflorous, shortly
pedunculate or epedunculate; lower bracts often caducous;
upper bracts usually borne near flower, caducous or not.
Flower buds globose, ovoid, or conical; flowers bisexual,
fleshy, usually not opening widely, with brown, simple or
stellate, microscopic hairs. Sepals valvate to imbricate,
ovate to broadly ovate, free or connate, shorter than the
petals; petals valvate, usually fleshy, green, white,
yellowish, or red, the outer 3 somewhat or conspicuously
longer than the inner 3. Stamens 10--200, apical
prolongation of connective flat, triangular or
quadrangular, innermost stamens staminodial; anthers not
locellate. Carpels 5--45, each with 2 subbasal ovules.
Monocarps free, clavate to dolabriform (hatchet- or golf
club-shaped), basally stipitate, apically beaked, dehiscent
along the ventral suture. Seeds 2 per monocarp, shiny,
black, without an aril.
Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad,
Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil,
Bolivia, tropical Asia; ca. 26 species, 9 species in
Venezuela, all in the flora area.

Key to the Species of Anaxagorea

1. Leaves 25--75 7--25 cm, secondary veins 18--28 on each

side of the mid-vein; petioles 1.5--4.5(--6) cm long, 4--
8(--10) mm diameter...A. gigantophylla
1. Leaves and petioles usually smaller than above and the
secondary veins fewer...2
2(1). Leaves narrowly to very narrowly elliptic to
elliptic-ovate, 5--16 0.5--3.5 cm...3
2. Leaves broader and/or longer than above...4
3(2). Leaves 6--16 1.5--3.5 cm, midvein on upper surface
slightly impressed; outer petals with a thick keel on the
inner surface...A. angustifolia
3. Leaves very narrow, 5--8 0.5--1 cm, midvein on upper
surface flat, not impressed; outer petals not keeled on
inner surface...A. rheophytica
4(2). Midvein of the upper surface of leaf distinctly
raised or convex; young twigs, perianth, and fruits
sparsely puberulous to glabrous; fruits yellow to green
with reddish tinge (when live)...A. brachycarpa
4. Midvein of the upper surface of leaf impressed or flat,
or if somewhat elevated then young twigs, perianth, and
fruits densely puberulous; fruits usually darker colored or
with brown or reddish pubescence...5
5(4). Pedicels (of individual flowers, not the
inflorescence rachis) 15--32 mm long, the upper bracts
persistent until shortly after anthesis and situated
(3--)5--15 mm below the calyx, about 1/3--1/2 way down the
pedicel; petioles 7--21 mm long...A. petiolata
5. Pedicels usually < 15 mm long, the upper bracts more
readily caducous and borne closer to the calyx than above;
petioles usually shorter than above...6
6(5). Midvein of the upper surface of leaves 1.5 mm broad
at the base, often somewhat raised; hairs on petioles and
perianth dark purplish red...A. rufa
6. Midvein of the upper surface of leaves < 1.5 mm broad at
the base, flat to usually impressed; hairs on petioles and
perianth brown or brownish red at most...7
7(6). Inflorescence axillary, cauliflorous, or borne at the
shoot apex; sepals erect; outer petals keeled on the inner
surface; vegetative parts usu-ally glabrous...A. brevipes
7. Inflorescence axillary or cauliflorous, but not borne at
the shoot apex; sepals erect to recurved; outer petals not
keeled on the inner surface; vegetative parts generally
with fine brown or brownish red pubescence...8
8(7). Sepals usually 5 mm long, caducous or if persistent
then spreading to upwardly curving; outer petals 7--12 mm
long...A. acuminata
8. Sepals 6--13 mm long, often persistent and becoming
recurved to re-flexed; outer petals 10--18(--23) mm
long...A. dolichocarpa
Anaxagorea acuminata (Dunal) A. DC., Mm. Soc. Phys. Genve
5: 211. 1832. ---Xylopia acuminata Dunal, Monogr. Anonac.
122, t. 16. 1817. ---Majagua.
Shrub or tree to 20 m; leaves elliptic, ovate, or obovate,
6--36 2--12 cm, brown-puberulous on the lower surface,
especially near the base; secondary veins 9--20 per side;
inflorescence usually cauliflorous, the flowers brownish to
yellowish, creamy with pink basally within, or pale yellow
with ma-roon at base. Evergreen lowland forests, 50--200 m;
Amazonas (Ro Cataniapo, Ro Ocamo, Ro Padamo). Venezuelan
Coastal Cordillera; Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname, French
Guiana, northern Brazil. Fig. 344.
This species is very similar to Anaxagorea dolichocarpa and
is difficult to distinguish from it. A water-based drink
with scrapings from the inner bark has been used in
Amazonian Venezuela to aid women in conceiving babies when
they have been previously infertile.
Anaxagorea angustifolia Timmerman, Proc. Kon. Ned. Akad.
Wetensch. C 87: 298. 1984.
Shrub or tree to 7 m; leaves narrowly elliptic, 6--16
1.5--3.5 cm, lower surface sparsely puberulous, reddish
black; secondary veins 9--16 per side; flowers yellowish;
monocarps 2.2--2.3 cm long, yellow to red. Evergreen
lowland forests, ca. 100 m; Amazonas (near San Carlos de
Ro Negro). Brazil (Amazonas: upper Rio Negro basin).
Anaxagorea brachycarpa R.E. Fr., Acta Horti Berg. 12: 14,
fig. 1a--c. 1934. ---Majagua ann, Majagua dura, Majagua de
barra.
Tree or shrub, 3--15 m; leaves narrowly elliptic to
obovate, 9--28 2--9 cm, lower surface dark red-puberulous
to glabrescent; flowers yellowish or greenish; monocarps
2--3 cm long, yellow to green with reddish tinge. Evergreen
lowland and submontane forests, 100--400 m; Amazonas (near
Cerro Yapacana, Ro Casiquiare, near San Carlos de Ro
Negro). Amazonian Peru and Brazil. Fig. 345.
Anaxagorea brevipes Benth., Hooker's J. Bot. Kew Gard.
Misc. 5: 8. 1853. ---Majagua, Weur-n (Yekwana).
Tree or shrub, 3--10(--25) m; leaves narrowly elliptic to
obovate, 8--35 3--10 cm, the lower surface sparsely
reddish puberulous to glabrescent; flowers tawny,
yellowish, or cream-colored marked with reddish without and
lavender within; monocarps 2--3.6 cm long, yellow with red
apically, red or dark purple basally. Evergreen lowland,
riparian, and montane forests, 100--1300 m; Bolvar (Ro
Canaracuni, Ro Erebato, Ro Nichare basin), Amazonas (base
of Cerro Duida, Cerro Huachamacari, Ro Cataniapo, Ro
Sipapo, lower Ro Ventuari). Colombia, Guyana, Suriname,
Ecuador, Peru, Amazonian Brazil. Fig. 346.
The strong bark fiber is commonly used as head straps for
carrying cargo.
Anaxagorea dolichocarpa Sprague & Sandwith, Bull. Misc.
Inform. 1930: 475. 1930. ---Baquera-aba (Warao), Car-pi-
pok (Arekuna), Majagua, Pequea, Yarayara negra.
Tree or shrub 5--15 m; leaves narrowly elliptic, ovate, or
obovate, 9--45 3--16 cm, the lower surface ferrugineous-
puberulous; inflorescence mainly cauliflorous, the flowers
ferrugineous-brown without, creamy yellow within, with a
fragrance like overripe bananas; monocarps 2.5--4.7 cm
long, green, yellow, brown, or red, densely to sparsely
ferrugineous-puberulous or glabrescent. Evergreen lowland
and lower montane forests, ca. 50--800 m; Delta Amacuro
(Ro Amacuro, Sacupana, Serrana de Imataca), Bolvar
(widespread), Amazonas (near Gaviln, Sierra Parima).
Sucre; Costa Rica, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, French
Guiana, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia. Fig. 348.
This is a common understory tree in the Venezuelan Guayana
and elsewhere throughout its range; it is most easily
confused with Anaxagorea acuminata.
Anaxagorea gigantophylla R.E. Fr., Mem. New York Bot. Gard.
9: 330. 1957.
Tree 4--12 m; leaves narrowly elliptic, 25--75 7--25 cm,
ferrugineous-puberulous to glabrescent on lower surface,
the base rounded or broadly obtuse; flowers white, creamy,
or pale yellow with tawny hairs, or brown without and
yellow within; monocarps 3--3.5 cm long, densely brown-
ferrugineous pubescent. Evergreen lowland forests, 100--800
m; Amazonas (Ro Mawarinuma, Ro Pasimoni, Ro Yat&;a,
Sierra Parima). Brazil (Amazonas: near Serra da Neblina).
Fig. 347.
Anaxagorea petiolata R.E. Fr., Lloydia 2: 179. 1939.
---Majagua.
Tree 6--15 m; leaves narrowly elliptic to obovate, 10--27
2.5--8.5 cm, lower surface reddish brown-puberulous;
inflorescence usually cauliflorous, the flowers brownish
with yellow, yellow-green, or orange-brown; monocarps 2.8--
4 cm long, brown to yellow, densely or sparsely
ferrugineous-puberulous. Lower montane and montane forests,
300--1300 m; Bolvar (Gran Sabana, middle Ro Paragua),
Amazonas (between Cerro Duida and Cerro Marahuaka, Cerro
Huachamacari, Ro Coro Coro west of Cerro Yutaj, Sierra
Parima). Guyana, northern Brazil. Fig. 349.
The strong bark fiber is used in tying and for head straps
to carry cargo.
Anaxagorea rheophytica Maas & Westra, Proc. Kon. Ned. Akad.
Wetensch. C 89: 75, figs. 1--3. 1986.
Willow-like shrub ca. 2 m; leaves narrowly elliptic or
narrowly elliptic-ovate, 5--8 x 0.5--1 cm, glabrous
throughout; secondary veins 7--12 per side; inflorescence
1-flowered, flowers greenish to yellowish tan; monocarps
1.5--1.8 cm long, sparsely puberulous. Along river margins
near forests, 100--200 m; Amazonas (Ro Mawarinuma).
Endemic.
Anaxagorea rufa Timmerman, Proc. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetensch.
C 87: 301. 1984. ---Cabari, Majagua, Majagua hoja larga,
Majagua lengua de tigre.
Tree or shrub 3--10 m; leaves elliptic to obovate, 15--48
5--15 cm, lower surface puberulous with purplish red hairs
or glabrescent; secondary veins 11--20 per side;
inflorescence mainly cauliflorous, the flowers brownish,
greenish, cream-colored, or yellowish without, white
within; monocarps 2.5--3.2 cm long, white, yellow, or wine-
colored, densely rufous-puberulous. Evergreen lowland and
submontane forests, 100--400 m; Amazonas (Cerro Yapacana,
Ro Sipapo, near San Carlos de Ro Negro, Santa Rosa de
Ucata northeast of San Fernando de Atabapo, Sierra de la
Neblina, Yavita). Amazonian Colombia, Peru, and Brazil.