Ocotea perforata Kosterm.

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 : 263-264

25. Ocotea perforata Kosterm.

( Fig. 11 )

Communication (Pengumuman) of the Forest Research Institute, Indonesia 60: 20 (1957).

Ocotea oligantha van der Werff, Novon 6: 469 (1996) .

— Typus: Madagascar, Massif de Vohibe-Antoetra, 1.XII.1964, fls, Service Forestier (Capuron) 23856 (holo-, MO! ; iso-, P [ P00074126 ]!) .

TYPUS. — Madagascar. Ambositra. 22.II.1955, fls, frts, Service Forestier 12463 (holo-, P [ P00573370 ]! ; iso-, P [ P00573369 , P00573371 ]) .

SELECTED SPECIMENS SEEN. — Centre: Massif de l’Ankaratra, Service Forestier (Capuron) 11961, (MO, P[ P01955950 , P01955951 ], TEF) ; Massif du Vohibe - Antoetra , S-SE d’Ambositra, Service Forestier (Capuron) 23856 (MO, P) ; Fianarantsoa, Parc National de Ranomafana, Rakoto 377 (MO, P[P01955949], TAN) ; Fianarantsoa, forêt de Ankazomirady Rakotomalaza 709 (MO) .

DISTRIBUTION. — Ocotea perforata is known from several collections, made from Ambositra, to the Ankaratra mountains, between 1300 and 1800 m altitude.

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers: December, (old) February; young fruits: April; mature fruits: February.

VERNACULAR NAMES. — Varongy, varongy mainty.

DESCRIPTION

Small tree, to 12 m. Twigs somewhat angular, glabrous, the bark gray and warty; terminal buds glabrous. Leaves alternate, firmly chartaceous, 7-10 × 2-4 cm, elliptic or narrowly elliptic, base acute or gradually narrowed into the petiole, apex acute, glabrous on both surfaces, midrib, lateral veins and tertiary venation immersed in both surfaces, lateral veins 5-8 on each side, faintly visible; domatia present, consisting of deep pits, with a glabrous, small, slit-like opening, in the axils of the lateral veins as well as along the lateral veins. Petioles glabrous, 5-8 mm long, sometimes poorly differentiated from the lamina because of the decurrent base. Inflorescences axillary, basally glabrous, distally becoming pubescent, 4-7 cm long. Flowers puberulous.Tepals 6, spreading to reflexed in old flowers, pubescent on inner surface c. 2.5 mm long. Stamens 9, 4-celled, 1.3 mm long, glabrous, except for few hairs at base of filaments, staminodia glabrous. Inside of receptacle and ovary glabrous. Detached fruits 1.9 × 1.4 cm: detached cupule shallowly cup-shaped, 1.3 cm in diameter, c. 4 mm deep.

REMARKS

Ocotea perforata , as here accepted, is characterized by the presence of pit domatia along the lateral veins and glabrous twigs and terminal buds.Domatia may also be present in the axils of the basal lateral veins. It is a species known from the high mountains in central-south Madagascar. I have decided to place the recently described O. oligantha in synonymy of O. perforata ; its distribution is the same as for O. perforata , and it shares the glabrous twigs and terminal buds as well as the presence of domatia along the lateral veins. It was recognized largely on its wider leaves. A recent collection has leaves intermediate in width between O. oligantha and O. perforata , which makes the vegetative characters used to separate the two species tenuous.

Figures

Fig. 11. Distribution of Ocotea malcomberi van der Werff (N), O. perforata Kosterm. (p), O. spanantha van der Werff (l) and O. thouvenotii (Danguy) Kosterm. (Ì).