Ocotea costulata (Nees) Mez

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1964. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part V. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10: 1-278.

  • Family

    Lauraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Ocotea costulata (Nees) Mez

  • Description

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Tree or shrub with hermaphrodite flowers described originally from British Guiana, believed to extend through Para and Amazonas, Brazil, along the Amazon to Rio Negro and Alto Orinoco of lower Venezuela. BRAZIL. Amazonas: prope San Gabriel da Cachoeira, ad Rio Negro, Spruce 2093 (fl. G H, NY). VENEZUELA. Amazonas: en la selva alta de tierra firme de Tamatama, Alto Orinoco, Williams 15136 (fl. A, F); forest at base of Piedra Arauicaua, Rio Yatua, Casiquiare, Maguire, Wurdack d; Maguire 42615 (fr. NY).

  • Discussion

    Oreodaphne costulata Nees, Linnaea 21: 320. 1848.

    Vernacular Names. Laurel de tierra firme (Williams) ; Louro camfora, louro canfora (collectors here not cited).

    Type. In Brittischen Guiana, Rich. Schomburgk 987 (second of syntypes cited by Nees," holotype, fide Mez; isotype, fl. US).

    Mez included in Ocotea aciphylla Spruce 2093 from the Rio Negro region, which has leaves with blades that are larger, and consistently more full or rounded and undulate towards the base, never sharply, though often minutely recurved just above the petiole, giving the false appearance of being decurrent. This latter situation obtains consistently throughout the collections of 0. aciphylla.

    The following number may be an aberrant representative of 0. costulata, for although the habit and general aspect are similar, the flowers show an instability of staminal structure, the tissues are extremely thin in some instances and the anther-cell structure indiscernible. Possibly this specimen has been subjected to insect attack.

    Shrub or small tree, leaves brittle, leathery, glaucescent below, involute, cupule red, fruit green, occasional on rock outcrop in open scrub-sedge savanna, Imbaimadai, Upper Mazaruni River, British Guiana, Maguire d: Fanshawe 32161 (fl.,y. fr.NY).

  • Distribution

    Distribution. Tree or shrub with hermaphrodite flowers described originally from British Guiana, believed to extend through Para and Amazonas, Brazil, along the Amazon to Rio Negro and Alto Orinoco of lower Venezuela.

    Brazil South America| Venezuela South America| Guyana South America|