Standl., J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 15:285.1925

Liana; all but the youngest stems with thin,flaky bark. Petioles 1-2.5 cm long, canaliculate; blades obovate toelliptic, abruptly acuminate, mostly acute at base, 9-25 cm long,3.5-10 cm wide, glabrous above, at first appressed-pubescent onveins below, the axils often tufted, glabrate in age. Cincinniaxillary or borne on leaf­less stems, fasciculate, the axespubescent; flowers few, pedicellate, 7-9 mm broad; sepals 5, ±rounded and concave, glabrous to slightly pubescent on bothsurfaces; petals 3 or 4, white, 3-5 mm long, soon falling; stamensmany, persistent, ca 5 mm long; ovary l, glabrous to slightlypubescent; style 1-2 mm long; stigma peltate. Fruits globose, ca 1cm diam, red or purplish-red, often with sparse, ± appressedtrichomes, splitting regularly into 2 valves; seeds 2. Croat9507,13488.

Apparently uncommon in flower; seen both alongthe shore and in the vicinity of the Laboratory Clearing wheresterile plants are frequent in the canopy. Seasonal behavior poorlyknown. Flowers from January to March (sometimes to April). Thefruits probably mature mostly in April and May.

Sometimes confused with specimens of D.major, but may be distinguished by lacking punctate leaves andhaving glabrous fruits. This species was reported by Standley asD. multiflorus Standl., but that name was consideredsynonymous with D. guianensis (Aubl.) Gilg. by Hunter in the Flora ofPanama (1965). Kubitzki (1971) considered D.multiflorus and D. guianensis as distinct species,however, with D. guianensis restricted to Vene­zuelaand the Guianas. D. guianensis is distinguished by having apubescent ovary.

Belize to Panama; Cuba. In Panama, known only from tropicalmoist forest in the Canal Zone (Atlantic slope) and Colónthough very likely to be found on the Pacific slope in Darien.