Vatairea guianensis

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant is found across several distinct regions within the South American continent. In Northern South America, its range extends through the territories of French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname. It is also widely distributed across the country of Venezuela. Furthermore, its presence reaches into Western South America, specifically within Colombia. Together, these areas define the natural geographical footprint of Vatairea guianensis.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Vatairea guianensis is closely tied to specific lowland hydrological conditions, primarily occurring within the Floresta de Várzea habitat. This plant is specialized to thrive in these seasonally flooded forest ecosystems, occupying a narrow altitudinal band. Its distribution is restricted to an elevational range between 150 m AMSL and a maximum of 200 m AMSL, indicating a preference for low-lying, moisture-rich terrains within its environmental niche.

Elevational range max:

200 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

150 m AMSL

Habitat :

Floresta de Várzea

Life history

The life history of Vatairea guianensis is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to maintain a presence in its ecosystem over many years through sustained growth cycles. Its physiological rhythm is further defined by its deciduous nature, meaning it undergoes a seasonal shedding of its foliage.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Vatairea guianensis is characterized by its robust growth form as a woody tree, reaching an average height of approximately 25 m, with a maximum potential height of the same measurement. As a terrestrial species, it does not exhibit aquatic or semiaquatic tendencies, nor does it function as an epiphyte, remaining strictly grounded in its habitat. The plant is entirely independent, lacking any parasitic relationship with other organisms. In terms of its structural support and climbing habits, it is categorized as a self-supporting organism, meaning it does not rely on being a liana, vine, or any other form of climber to maintain its vertical stature.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

25 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Vatairea guianensis is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, meaning it utilizes the Calvin cycle to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide through the enzyme RuBisCO without the specialized carbon-concentrating mechanisms found in C4 or CAM plants. This metabolic strategy typically requires consistent access to moisture to maintain stomatal conductance for gas exchange. Furthermore, this species does not function as a nitrogen fixer, as it lacks the symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria (such as Rhizobium) required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms, relying instead on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Vatairea guianensis is characterized by the production of substantial seeds that exhibit highly consistent physical dimensions. The seeds are notably large, with a recorded seed mass that remains constant at a mean, minimum, and maximum value of 26.466 g. This uniformity in mass is mirrored in the seed volume, which shows no variance across measured samples, maintaining a consistent volume of 26,000 mm³ for the minimum, maximum, and mean values. These specific morphometric data indicate a highly standardized reproductive output in terms of seed size and weight.

Seed mass mean:

26.466 g

Seed volume max:

26000 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Vatairea guianensis has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. The journal of physical chemistry. A