''Didymopanax macrocarpus'' is a tree and grows primarily in the seasonally dry
tropical biome. It is native to the central and eastern
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
.
Description
This plant is a small tree or treelet, typically standing between tall, though some can reach up to . Its branches have loose, light brown or ochre bark that tends to fall apart when dry. The leaves are palmately compound, clustering at the branch tips, with leaf stalks (petioles) ranging from long. Each leaf consists of 3 to 9 thick, leathery leaflets that measure long and wide, featuring smooth edges and rounded tips.
The leaf venation is pronounced, with a main vein visible on both surfaces and secondary veins more prominent on the underside. The plant produces terminal flower clusters that can be erect or drooping, becoming pendulous as the fruit develops. These clusters are densely covered in soft hairs, adding a distinctive texture to the plant's appearance.
This plant can be distinguished from other species of the ''
Didymopanax
''Didymopanax'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Araliaceae, native to southern Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. It was resurrected from ''Schefflera'' in 2020.
Species
The following species are accepted:
* ...
'' group by the frequent presence of a loose exfoliating bark in dry material, leaflets with coriaceous blades and persistently light brown or ochre to grayish villous indumentum abaxially, a usually rounded, large (), and very fleshy fruits.
Distribution and habitat
''Didymopanax macrocarpus'' is common in the eastern region of Brazilian
Cerrado
The Cerrado () is a vast ecoregion of Tropics, tropical savanna in central Brazil, being present in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Maranhão, Piauí, Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Paraná ...
. It can be found in the states of
Bahia
Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
,
Goiás
Goiás () is a Brazilian States of Brazil, state located in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District (Brazil), Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Ge ...
, eastern
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso ( – ) is one of the states of Brazil, the List of Brazilian states by area, third largest by area, located in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region. The state has 1.66% of the Brazilian population and is responsible ...
,
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...
,
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
, and the
Distrito Federal
A federal district is a specific administrative division in one of various federations. These districts may be under the direct jurisdiction of a federation's national government, as in the case of federal territory (e.g., India, Malaysia), or th ...
.
Life cycle
''Didymopanax macrocarpus'' flowers and form fruits all year around.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q111147141
Flora of Brazil
macrocarpus
Plants described in 1868