Eperua

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Fabales

Familia: Fabaceae
Subfamilia: Detarioideae
Tribus: Detarieae
Genus: Eperua
Species: E. bijuga – E. duckeana – E. falcata – E. glabra – E. glabriflora – E. grandiflora – E. jenmanii – E. leucantha – E. obtusata – E. oleifera – E. praesagata – E. purpurea – E. rubiginosa – E. schomburgkiana – E. venosa
Source(s) of checklist:
Name

Eperua Aubl., 1775

Type species: Eperua falcata Aubl.

Synonyms

Adleria Neck.
Dimorpha Schreb.
Panzera Willd.
Parivoa Aubl.
Rotmannia Neck.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Southern America
Regional: Brazil
Brazil North
Regional: Northern South America
Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
Introduced into:
Trinidad-Tobago

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition

References
Primary references

Fusée Aublet, J.B.C. 1775. Histoire des plantes de la Guiane françoise, rangées suivant la méthode sexuelle, avec plusieurs mémoires sur différens objets intéressans, relatifs à la culture & au commerce de la Guiane françoise, & une notice des plantes de l' Isle-de-France. Tome 1. Pp. I–XXIX, 30–32, 1–621. Pierre-François Didot jeune, Londres [London], Paris. BHL. Reference page. : 1: 369, t. 142

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Eperua in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Sep 12. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Eperua. Published online. Accessed: Sep 12 2020.
Tropicos.org 2020. Eperua. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Sep 12.
Catalogue of Life: 2020 Annual Checklist

Vernacular names

Eperua is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Detarioideae. The fifteen species[1] belonging to this genus are distributed in the tropical zones of Africa and South America, living in the jungles, often along rivers or streams. The leaves are compound pinnate, with smooth margins, and the fruits are long pods. The wood of E. falcata is called wallaba and is often used in construction.

Eperua falcata Aubl. occurs in Suriname, French Guiana and Guyana, a 30 m high jungle tree called Wallaba or Bijlhout by the natives. The bark is grey brown, and the leaves pinnately compound with 2-4 pairs of obovate leaflets ~ 18 cm long. The flowers are bell-shaped in terminal or subterminal clusters. They have red petals, 5 fertile and 5 sterile stamens. The pods are up to 30 cm long and 6 cm wide, with 2-5 flat seeds.

Eperua grandiflora : "Itoeri wallaba" also occurs in Suriname and the two Guyanas.

Eperua rubiginosa also occurs in Suriname and Guyana; about 30 m high. It has unpaired pinnately compound leaves. The flowers with red and white petals have 10 fertile stamens. The pods are rusty brown, and up to 25 cm long and 5 cm wide.

Eperua schomburgkiana ~30 m high; occurs in the Guyanas. The flowers are in clusters and contain 10 fertile stamens. The pods are 20 cm long.