Ocotea malcomberi 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 : 262

23. Ocotea malcomberi van der Werff

( Fig. 11 )

Novon 6: 467 (1996).

TYPUS. — Madagascar, Toliara, Andohahela , van der Werff et al. 12756 (holo-, MO! ; iso-, B, BR, G, GH, K, L, LE, NY, QRS, TAN, TEF, TNS, US) .

SELECTED SPECIMENS SEEN. — Toliara. Réserve intégrale 11, Andohahela , Randriamampionona 429 (MO, P[ P02008100 ], TAN) ; Toliara, Ambahibe, Isaka-Ivondro , Randriamampionona 613 (MO, P[ P02008092 ], TAN) ; Forêt Orientale, versant sud de col du Maningotry , Service Forestier (Capuron) 8509 (MO, P[ P02008018 , P02008017 ], TEF) .

DISTRIBUTION. — This species is restricted to SW corner of Madagascar (Andohahela, Col du Maningotry, Ifarantsa) between 300-600 m elevation. A few collections, including the type, were made along roads, suggesting this species tolerates disturbed habitats quite well.

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers: August-October; fruits: January, September, November.

VERNACULAR NAMES. — Varongy fotsy, varongy mavokely.

DESCRIPTION

Tree, 20 m tall.Twigs terete or slightly angular, when young covered with a very fine, gray indument, the hairs very short and individually scarcely visible, becoming glabrous with age; terminal buds light brown-tomentellous. Leaves alternate, chartaceous, 6-10 × 2.5-5 cm, elliptic to broadly elliptic, base and apex acute, upper surface shiny, glabrous, lower surface dull, glabrous, but very young leaves pubescent, venation immersed on upper surface, midrib and lateral veins slightly raised on lower surface, lateral veins 4-6, domatia present, consisting of mostly shallow pockets with a fringe of hairs or entirely covered by hairs. Petioles 0.8- 0.3 cm long, glabrous or minutely puberulous, usually darker colored than the twigs. Inflorescences 5-13 cm long, in axils of deciduous bracts near the apices of twigs or along short, leafless shoots in axils of normal leaves, but rarely in axils of normal leaves, paniculate, graypubescent. Flowers pale yellow or white. Tepals 6, pubescent both surfaces, c. 1.3 mm long, connect at their base and in old flowers falling off as a ring, together with the stamens. Stamens 9, 4-celled, the outer six 0.8 mm long, the filaments very short or almost absent, anthers dorsally with some hairs; inner three stamens c. 1.1 mm long, with 2 glands attached near the base, staminodia 3, stipitiform, pubescent. Receptacle deep, glabrous inside, ovary and style each 1 mm long, with a few hairs on upper part of ovary and along style or glabrous. Cupule deeply cup-shaped, 2 cm wide, 1.4 cm high, fruit ellipsoid, 2.2 × 1.6 cm.

REMARKS

Ocotea malcomberi has been confused with O. trichantha , but can be readily identified by the combination of sparse indument of the inflorescences, shallow domatia, and rather large inflorescences.The flowers and twigs are less conspicuously pubescent than in O. trichantha , and petioles darker than the twigs occur frequently in O. malcomberi and very rarely in O. trichantha . Distribution of the two species is also quite different. Both species have their inflorescences in axils of deciduous bracts, an uncommon character of Malagasy Ocotea species. Another uncommon character are the basally connate tepals, which fall off as a unit in older flowers.

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).