Couratari is a genus of trees in the family Lecythidaceae, first described as a genus in 1775.Aublet, Jean Baptiste Christophe Fusée. 1775. Histoire des Plantes de la Guiane Françoise 2: 723–724, t. 290.Tropicos, Couratari Aubl. They are native to tropical South America and Central America.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
They are large trees, often rising above the rainforest canopy. The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, elliptical, up to 15 cm long, with a serrate to serrulate margin. Vernation lines parallel to the midvein are often visible - a very unusual characteristic. The fruit is 6–15 cm long, and roughly conical. A central plug drops out at maturity, releasing the winged seeds to be dispersed by wind. The fruit of Cariniana may be distinguished from those of Couratari, as the former have longitudinal ridges, whereas the latter bears a single calyx-derived ring near the fruit apex.Mori, S.A. & G. T. Prance. 1990. Lecythidaceae–Part II. The zygomorphic–flowered New World genera (Couroupita, Corythophora, Bertholletia, Couratari, Eschweilera, & Lecythis). Flora Neotropica, Monograph 21(2): 1–376.Davidse, G., M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera. 2009. Cucurbitaceae a Polemoniaceae. 4(1): i–xvi, 1–855. In G. Davidse, M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera (eds.) Flora Mesoamericana. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
Species 19 species are accepted.
References
External links Field Museum: Couratari photos Field Museum Herbarium: Couratari photos