CYRTOCARPA KUNTH (ANACARDIACEAE) IN SOUTH-AMERICA

Cyrtocarpa has previously been known only from Baja California and western Mexico; here we report two species of the genus from South America. Cyrtocarpa velutinifolia (Cowan) Mitchell & Daly, presented here as a new combination, was originally published as a Bursera and later transferred to Tapirira (Anacardiaceae). The Anacardiaceae and Burseraceae show frequent morphological convergence in the drier tropics; moreover, in several genera they display strong similarities in staminate flower structure. Cyrtocarpa velutinifolia occurs in savannas and granitic outcrops in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana. Cyrtocarpa caatingae Mitchell & Daly, a new species represented by four collections from the dry thorn-scrub vegetation of Bahia, Brazil, resembles the Mexican C. procera Kunth and appears to be most closely related to it.