Ocotea tillettsiana C.K.Allen
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Authority
Maguire, Bassett. 1965. The Botany of the Guayana Highland. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 12 (3): 1-285.
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Family
Lauraceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Tree to 20 m, 3 d m base diam, leaves coriaceous, dark green above, medium green beneath with waxy feel, no bloom, slightly aromatic; calyx and corolla cream, stamens yellow; only one seen in mixed evergreen forest, talus from cliffs along N E side, 800-900 m, 15 Aug 1960, Mt. Ayanganna, Upper Mazaruni River Basin, British Guiana, Stephen S. ds Carolyn L. Tillett dc Ruf as Boyan 45137 (holotype, fl. N Y ) .
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Arbor ad 20 m alta, gemmis gracilibus anguste attenuato-ovoideis, minute adpresseque fulvo-tomentellis, ramulis robustis glabrescentibus striatis atratis. Folia alternata, plus minusve ad apicem congesta, petiolis juventute satis robustis mox erassis glabrescentibus mox glabris canaliculatis, ad 2 cm longis et ad 3 mm latis, aliquantum atratis, laminis supra nitidis, et subtus juventute ad basim sparse minuteque fulvo-pubescentibus, mox glabris, coriaceis, obovatis, ad 15 cm longis et 6.5 cm latis, margine minute recurvatis, ad basim cuneatis, ad apicem obtusis, penninerviis, costa supra leviter elevata (ad basim sulcata), subtus valde elevata, nervis 6-9-paribus supra tenuibus subtus leviter elevatis, ad angulo 65-60° divergentibus, obseurissime ad marginem confluentibus, rete venularum supra obscuro laxoque, subtus prominenter et tenue minuto. Inflorescentia axillaris subterminalisque, satis robusta, rhachidibus atratis, minute fulvo-pubescentibus glabrescentibus, racemoso-paniculata, ad 15 cm longa, pedunculo ad 6 cm longo, atrato. Flores hermaphroditi, ad 4.5 mm longi, pedicellis ad 1.5-2 mm longis, perianthio cyathiformi, eburneo, fide coll., minute pubescenti, lobis aliquantum erassis ovatis, intus papillosis, ad 2.5 mm longis, tubo ad 0.5 mm longo; staminibus antheris flavis, fide coll. (Tilletts), ovato-quadratis, quam filamentis ad apicem patentibus duplo longioribus, ser I & II ad 1.5 mm longis, locellis introrsis, ser III ad 2 mm longis, locellis superioribus lateralibus, inferioribus extrorsis, biglandulosis, ser IV ? 0; gynoecio ad 1.8 mm longo, ovario ovoideo, quam stylo companulato stigmate subtriangulari expanse paullo longioro. Infructescentia robusta, rhachidibus corallinis fide coll. (Steyermark). Fruetus fuscescens, late oblongus brevi-apiculatus, ad 15 X 10-12 mm, cupula parva, discoidea, corallina fide coll. (Steyermark) ad 6 mm diam, pedicello obconico 3-7 mm longo ad apicem 4 mm expanse, minute pallideque ferrugineo-verruculoso, subtenta.
Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Tree to 20 m bearing oblanceolate, coriaceous leaves, the upper surface somewhat shining and loosely reticulate, clustered at the tips of the stout, rough, striate branchlets, known only from the type locality and from a single collection from the sandstone area of Venezuela, on the Chimanta Massif.
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Discussion
The affinities of 0. tillettsiana are two: Ocotea cuprea (Meissner) Mez, from Peru, and described by Mez as subdioecious, differs from O. tillettsiana in its coppery pubescent branchlets bearing shorter, oblanceolate leaves with reticulation obscure throughout; Ocotea oblonga (Meissner) Mez from French Guiana and Trinidad according to Mez, dioecious, has characters similar to O. cuprea, and in fact appears very closely related to the latter. The leaves are more obovate than oblanceolate with obscure reticulation, and the less persistent pubescence seems to be rather more fulvous than cupreous. Of the three entities, O. tillettsiana is the most easily recognizable.