Beilschmiedia velutina (Kosterm.) Kosterm.

Werff, Henk van der, 2003, A synopsis of the genus Beilschmiedia (Lauraceae) in Madagascar, Adansonia (3) 25 (1), pp. 77-92 : 90-91

9. Beilschmiedia velutina (Kosterm.) Kosterm.

J. Sci. Res. (Jakarta) 1: 115 (1952). — Apollonias velutina Kosterm, Notul. Syst. (Paris) 8: 69 (1939). — Thouvenotia madagascariensis Danguy, Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Paris) 26: 652 (1920), non Beilschmiedia madagascariensis (Baill.) Kosterm. — Type: Thouvenot 102, Madagascar, Analamazaotra (holo-, P!; iso-, K!, U!).

Beilschmiedia grandiflora (Kosterm.) Kosterm., J. Sci. Res. (Jakarta) 1: 115 (1952). — Apollonias grandiflora Kosterm., Notul. Syst. (Paris) 8: 70 (1939). — Type: Decary 5522, Madagascar, haute vallée de la Rienana (holo-, P!; iso-, U!), syn. nov.

Trees, to 30 m tall. Twigs terete or slightly angled, subglabrous or minutely tomentellous to brown tomentose. Terminal bud tomentellous or brown tomentose. Leaves alternate, chartaceous, 9-20(-28) × 4-11(-20) cm, (broadly) elliptic or (broadly) ovate, the base obtuse to acute, rarely rounded, the tip acute or shortly acuminate, the upper surface glabrous or somewhat tomentose on the major veins, the lower surface sparsely tomentellous and glaucous to densely brown-tomentose, lateral veins 7-12 on each side, midrib, lateral veins and tertiary venation immersed on upper surface, midrib, and lateral veins clearly raised on lower surface, tertiary venation slightly raised. Petioles 10-25(-30) mm long, subglabrous to brown-tomentose. Inflorescences axillary, brown-tomentellous or brown-tomentose, paniculate, multiflowered, 4-10 cm long; elliptic, brown-pubescent bracts to 2.5 mm long frequently present at anthesis. Flowers with spreading tepals, to 8(-10) mm in diameter. Tepals 6, equal, brown tomentellous on both surfaces, to 4 mm long. Stamens 9, 2-celled, the outer 6, c. 0.7 mm long, glabrous, the filament short to very short, the anther with large, sometimes narrow, lateral or lateral-introrse cells; inner 3 as outer 6, more columnar, cells lateral or lateral-extrorse, with 2 globose glands at or near the base of the filament, staminodia 3, small, glabrous. Pistil glabrous or pubescent, the ovary gradually narrowed into the short style. Receptacle shallow, densely pubescent. Fruit ellipsoid to roundish, c. 3 cm in diameter, when young with persistent tepals at the base, the tepals eventually breaking off.

ECOLOGY. — Montane forests, 700-1200 m.

DISTRIBUTION. — Most collections come from two localities: midaltitude mountains in the NE (Anjanaharibe, Betsomanga, north to Ankarangana) and Périnet/Analamazaotra, with a single collection from Ranomafana National Park. — Fig. 2.

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers and fruits year-round.

Beilschmiedia velutina , as here accepted, is a very variable species and includes specimens previously placed in B. grandiflora . KOSTERMANS separated these two species on the following characters: B. velutina included material with densely pubescent leaves and a densely tomentellous pistil whereas specimens of B. grandiflora had sparsely tomentellous, glaucous leaves and a glabrous ovary. These differences would be quite adequate for the recognition of two species were there not so many intermediate specimens. Many collec- tions, both fertile and sterile, have a pubescence which is intermediate between the indument of the type specimens of B. velutina and B. grandiflora . Moreover, Service Forestier (Capuron) 27801 has a very glabrous pistil and densely pubescent leaves. One could possibly maintain B. grandiflora as distinct based solely on its glabrous pistil, but then these two species, differing in only one character, would be sympatric throughout most of their ranges. Label data do not suggest any ecological separation between the two and it would be impossible to identify sterile or fruiting specimens. Such a separation does not seem meaningful and I therefore place B. grandiflora in synonymy under B. velutina . The difference between glabrous and tomentellous pistils is nevertheless striking and appears to be correlated with spreading versus incurved tepals, although this might reflect whether the material was freshly pressed or not.

COMMON NAMES. — Demoka, tavolo, vakoromanga, vazanga, voakoromanga, voananamasina, voatsipoake.

SPECIMENS STUDIED. — MADAGASCAR: Cours 3677, Anjanaharibe, fr. (MO, P); Cours 3912, camp 2, Anjanaharibe, fl. (MO, P); Decary 5522, Farafangana, haute vallée de la Rienana, fl. (P); Humbert 24277, vallée inférieure de l’Androranga, environs d’Antongondriha, massif du Betsomanga, fr. (MO, P); Humbert 24589, massif de l’Anjanaharibe, fr. (P). McPherson 17303, SW of Andapa, fl., fr. (MO); McPherson 17304, SW of Andapa, fl. (MO); Perrier de la Bâthie 5265, forêt d’Analamazaotra, fr. (P); Perrier de la Bâthie 5267, forêt d’Analamazaotra, buds (P); Ravelonarivo et al. 380, 450, Andapa, Anjanaharibe- Sud, fr. (MO); Réserves Naturelles 42, Analamazaotra, fl. (K, MO, P); Service Forestier (Capuron) 843, massif du Betsomanga, fr. (P, TEF); Service Forestier (Capuron) 907, massif de l’Anjanaharibe, vallée de l’Andramoata, fr. (MO, P, TEF); Service Forestier 2520, Périnet, fr. (P, TEF); Service Forestier 3659, Ampanantonampingotra, Andapa, fl. (P, TEF); Service Forestier 7162, Antsirabe, Ambanje, fr. (P, TEF); Service Forestier (Capuron) 8680, massif de l’Ambohitsitondroina, nord de la presqu’île de Masoala, fr. (P, TEF); Service Forestier 10949 Périnet, st. (P, TEF); Service Forestier 10964, Périnet, st. (P, TEF); Service Forestier 10974, Andapa, st. (P, TEF); Service Forestier 11099, Ankarangana, Ambanja, fl., fr. (K, P, TEF); Service Forestier 13404, Ifanadiana, fl. (P, TEF); Service Forestier (Capuron) 18492, massif de Bora, environs d’Amponbilava, fr. (P, TEF); Service Forestier 25681, Analamazaotra, st. (P); Service Forestier 25682, Analamazaotra, st. (P); Service Forestier 25683, Analamazaotra, st. (P); Service Forestier 26317, s.loc., st. (P); Service Forestier 26629, Analamazaotra, fr. (P); Service Forestier 26908, Analamazaotra, st., (P, TEF); Service Forestier (Capuron) 27801, Ouest d’Andapa, fl. (MO, P, TEF); Thouvenot 102, Analamazaotra, fl. (P, U); Thouvenot s.n., Analamazaotra, fr. (P, U); Service Forestier 41- 231, Ambalabe, st. (P).

IMPERFECTLY KNOWN SPECIES:

Figures

Fig. 2. — Distribution of Beilschmiedia in Madagascar: B. madagascariensis (*); B. pedicellata (✚); B. pedicellata with dimerous flowers (); B. sericans (Δ); B. velutina (•).