Ocotea longipedicellata van der Werff

Werff, Henk Van Der, 2013, A revision of the genus Ocotea Aubl. (Lauraceae) in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, Adansonia (3) 35 (2), pp. 235-279 : 258

19. Ocotea longipedicellata van der Werff

( Fig. 6 )

Novon 6: 465 (1996).

TYPUS. — Madagascar. Canton Sahatavy, District Vavatenina, 17.X.1960, Réserves Naturelles 11386 Rakotondramisa (holo-, P [ P00648796 ]!) .

SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Canton Sahatavy, District Vavatenina , RN 11386 Rakotondramisa ( P) ; Toamasina, Zahamena, Réserve Intégrale 3, Randrianjanaka 8 (MO, P[ P01991803 ], TAN) ; Toamasina, Zahamena, Randrianjanaka 225 (MO, P [ P01991804 ], TAN) ; Toamasina, Maroantsetra, Antsirabesahatany , Antilahimena et al. 1625 (MO, P) .

DISTRIBUTION. — Known from Vavatenina, Zahamena and the Maroantsetra district at altitudes of 600-1000 m.

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers: October; fruits December.

DESCRIPTION

Shrub. Twigs terete, slender, glabrous; terminal buds glabrous. Leaves 6-11 × 2-3.5 cm, alternate, chartaceous, elliptic or narrowly elliptic, glabrous, the base acute, apex acuminate, upper surface smooth, lower surface with the 7-9 lateral veins weakly raised; domatia lacking. Petioles glabrous, 6-10 mm long. Inflorescences in the axils of deciduous bracts, glabrous, paniculate-cymose, 5-8 cm long, laxly flowered. Pedicels slender, 1-1.5 cm long. Flowers glabrous, tepals spreading; tepals 6, 2- 2.5 mm long, the inner surface with a few hairs near the base; stamens 9, all 4-celled, c. 1.3 mm long, filaments about as long as the anthers, inner stamens with 2 glands at the base; pistil 2 mm long, glabrous; receptacle deep, glabrous inside. Cupule cup-shaped, 1.5 cm wide, 0.8 cm high, pedicel scarcely thickened; fruit ellipsoid, 2 × 1.5 cm.

REMARKS

This species is readily recognized by its glabrous condition, acuminate leaves and the slender inflorescences with long-pedicelled flowers.Only three other species share the glabrous condition: O. madagascariensis , which has obtuse, somewhat obovate leaves with coarse, raised reticulation, O. sambiranensis , which can be recognized by its raised reticulation, presence of small gland dots on the lower leaf surface and shorter pedicels and O. glaberrima sp. nov., a small shrub with small, obtuse leaves.

Figures

FIG. 6. — Distribution of Ocotea brevipes Kosterm. (N), O. fo- veolata Kosterm. (p), O. longipedicellata van der Werff (l) and O. sessiliflora Kosterm. (Ì).