Ocotea sanariapensis Lasser

  • 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 sanariapensis Lasser

  • Description

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Shrub or small tree with possibly polygamo-dioecious flowers growing chiefly in sandy, wet soil often periodically inundated on the banks of the Rio Negro and its tributaries in Bolivar and Amazonas, Venezuela; and occasionally at the edge of savannas at the base of the neighboring Cerro Yapacana; and along Rio Guaviare, Comisaria del Vichada, Colombia. VENEZUELA. Bolivar: frequent along Caño Coroso (Rio Caripo) between Lago Coroso and Rio Orinoco, Wurdack dc Monachino 41187 ([male] fl., fr. NY); Amazonas: Puerto Ayacucho, Williams 14960 (fr. A); in Sabanita on right bank of Caño Cupueni, 0.5 km above mouth, region of San Fernando de Atabapo, Maguire, Wurdack & Bunting 37687 ([male] fl. NY); Caño Cupaven, Rio Orinoco at mouth of Rio Atabapo, Level 69 ([male] fl. NY); occasional in sandy soil of clearing above Caño Guasuriapana, 1 km above San Fernando de Atabapo, Maguire, Wurdack & Bunting 36248 (fr. NY); occasional in scrub forest near Yapacana caño laguna, northwest base of Cerro Yapacana, Maguire & Wurdack 34494 (fr. NY), edge of Savanna No. 1, 34498 ([male] fl. NY); terrenos arenosos y humedos a orillas del Rio Orinoco en los alrededores de San Fernando, Molina d; Barkley 18 V 201 ([male]? fl. US). COLOMBIA. Comisaria del Vichada: selvas densas en suelos arcillosos y ricos a orillas del Rio Guaviare en la region de Amanabel (a bocas del rio), Molina & Barkley 18 VI 233 ([female] fl., fr. US) .

  • Discussion

    Type. Arbusto de 4 m de altura con flores de color amarillo pallido, pequeñas; en el medio del Rio Sanariapo, cerca de su desembocadura, y casi completamente sumergido; la corteza es gris, la albura amarillenta y el duramen moreno, Puerto Ayacucho, Amazonas, Venezuela, 100 m, 25 May 1940, Llewelyn Williams 13051 (isotype, ? [male] fl. F).

    The species superficially resembles 0. florulenta (Meissner) Mez but is distinguished by the possibly polygamo-dioecious flowers borne in sturdier, smaller and more strict inflorescences, and by its oblong-ellipsoid fruit subtended by a partially enclosing, shallow, suburceolate cupule. The prominent, loose reticulation of the leaves, as well as their shape, recalls the widespread Antillean species, Nectandra coriacea (Swartz) Griseb.

    Ocotea sanariapensis bears fruit suggesting that of O. schomburgkiana which differs in the larger, hemispheric, frequently in the younger stages suburceolate cupule and broader, more elliptic, usually more coriaceous, loose but less regularly reticulate leaf-blades.

    The recent collections of flowering material from The New York Botanical Garden expeditions to Venezuela bear dioecious flowers. The fruit-cupule tends to be more flaring and less suburceolate, and the leaves often more lanceolateelliptic. In other respects, however, they agree with the type of O. sanariapensis. The presence of dioecious flowers points to the possibility that the species may be polygamo-dioecious. However, the taxon is here discussed with the several species it most resembles.

  • Distribution

    Distribution. Shrub or small tree with possibly polygamo-dioecious flowers growing chiefly in sandy, wet soil often periodically inundated on the banks of the Rio Negro and its tributaries in Bolivar and Amazonas, Venezuela; and occasionally at the edge of savannas at the base of the neighboring Cerro Yapacana; and along Rio Guaviare, Comisaria del Vichada, Colombia.

    Venezuela South America| Colombia South America|