Nectandra megapotamica (Spreng.) Mez

  • Authority

    Rohwer, Jens G. 1993. Lauraceae: . Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 60: 1-332. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Lauraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Nectandra megapotamica (Spreng.) Mez

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Rio Grande do Sul: Sello s.n. (holotype, B).

  • Synonyms

    Tetranthera megapotamica Spreng., Nectandra saligna Nees, Oreodaphne tweediei Meisn., Oreodaphne tweediei Meisn., Nectandra saligna var. obscura Meisn., Nectandra racemifera Meisn., Nectandra tweediei (Meisn.) Mez, Nectandra briquetii Hassl., Nectandra membranacea (Sw.) Griseb., Nectandra membranacea var. saligna Hassl., Nectandra membranacea f. floribunda Hassl.

  • Description

    Species Description - Trees, up to 30 m tall (but usually collected from individuals of 5-15 m height). Branchlets 5 cm below terminal bud 0.9-2.3 mm in diam., initially ± slightly angular, soon becoming roundish, with short to moderately short (up to 0.4 mm), ± appressed hairs, moderately dense to (sub)glabrous below terminal bud, denser on inflorescence-bearing brachyblasts, quickly becoming sparse to glabrous; terminal buds conical to elongate, minute or up to 8 mm long and 1.3 mm thick, at least their apical part densely covered with short to moderately short, ± straight, ± appressed hairs (axillary buds often much less hairy). Petioles 2.5-12 mm long, 0.6-1, 4(-1.7) mm thick, ± irregularly roundish below, canaliculate above, indument below ± as on twigs, usually sparser above, quickly glabrescent. Leaves alternate, usually ± (ob)lanceolate, widest 1/3-2/3 from the base, mostly ± at the middle, (3.5-)5-12.5(-15.5) cm long, 1.2-2.8 (-3.8) cm wide, (2.5-)3-5.8(-7.5) times longer than wide, tip (usually narrowly) acuminate, sometimes tapering towards a rather indistinct acumen, base attenuate to narrowly acute, margin flat to narrowly bent down, rarely very narrowly recurved, midrib ± convex above, level or slightly impressed, often with a narrow central ridge in a slight impression, raised to slightly prominent below, secondary veins ± level above, rarely slightly raised or slightly impressed, level to slightly raised below, 5-12(-14) pairs, usually rather inconspicuous on both sides, diverging at 40-70°, in mid-lamina running at an angle of 25-50(-60)° to the midrib, tertiary venation mixed to almost lineate, scarcely visible, forming a fine reticulum, ± level on both sides or very slightly raised below. Indument consisting of ± short (rarely up to 0.4 mm), appressed hairs, sparse on both sides to (below almost) glabrous from the beginning, (subglabrescent, axils of secondary veins on lower leaf surface in some populations (see discussion) with erect hairs. Gland dots mostly not visible, rarely distinct, often in young leaves above. Inflorescences crowded in the axils of cataphylls, usually below the terminal bud, sometimes also on axillary brachyblasts (the vegetative bud occasionally growing through, leaving the inflorescences at its base), almost never in the axils of foliage leaves, 0.3-1 mm in diam. at the base, on a twig of 0.7-1.3(-2) mm diam., (1.2)2-9.5(-11.5) cm long, reaching ca. 1/3 of the length to slightly more than the length of the closest foliage leaves; peduncle extremely short or up to 5 cm long, i.e., almost absent to reaching 3/4 the length of the inflorescence, lateral branches (0-)2-8(-12) below terminal cyme or cluster of cymes, branched 0-2(-3) times (often not cymose), indument consisting of short to moderately short (up to 0.4 mm), appressed to ascending hairs, moderate to very sparse, occasionally up to dense on receptacle. Pedicels l-4(-8) mm long, 0.2-0.4 mm thick. Flowers (3-)3.7-5(-6.3) mm in diam., tepals ± elliptic to oblong, 1.2-2.3(-3) mm long and 0.8-1.3(-1.8) mm wide, papillosity short and fine on the inside surface, nearly always ± patchy and becoming ± sparse at the base, on outer tepals usually only on central part. Stamens (Fig. 61) ca. 0.7-1.2 mm long, with a usually very short but still distinct filament of ca. 0.1-0.2(-0.3) mm, anthers weakly papillose to nearly glabrous, in the two outer whorls transverse-elliptic to almost squarish, very broadly obtuse to slightly emarginate at the tip, sometimes slightly apiculate, in the second whorl often narrower than in the first, the third whorl ± rectangular, ± truncate at the tip (broadly rounded to very slightly emarginate). Staminodes reaching ca. 2/5-1/2 the length of the stamens, terete to slightly clavate, occasionally with a glandular patch on adaxial side, free or united at the base with the inner stamens. Pistil ca. 1.2-1.8(-2.2) mm long, glabrous, ovary ± ellipsoid to subglobose, style reaching ca. 2/3 to slightly more than the length of the ovary. Receptacle bowl-shaped to cup-shaped, often somewhat closed above by the bases of stamens and staminodes, glabrous or with a few appressed hairs inside. Berry ellipsoid, ca. 9-11 mm long, ca. 6-8 mm in diam., cupule ± conical when young, ± shallowly bowl-shaped when mature, ca. 1-2.5 mm high and ca. 5-7.5 mm in diam., pedicel slightly to distinctly thickened towards the cupule.

  • Discussion

    Uses. The wood is described as soft but valuable, its use being limited by an often strong, fetid, excrement-like odor.

    Nectandra megapotamica is recognized by its narrowly lanceolate, often dark drying leaves and by its inflorescences, which are crowded in the axils of cataphylls below the terminal bud and often also on axillary brachyblasts. Inflorescences in the axils of foliage leaves are very rare. In oneof the Regnell III-86 collections (of 27 Jan 1867) there are a few such in addition to inflorescences in the axils of cataphylls, and only in Dusén 14278 (F, MO, NY) do all inflorescences come from the axils of foliage leaves.

    Nectandra megapotamica is closely related to the partly sympatric N. angustifolia, which differs mainly by still narrower and more elongate leaves (see p. 170). Very few collections (e.g., Wasum 1961, US) may be considered intermediate. At the other end of the variational range N. megapotamica borders on N. micranthera, with wider leaves and smaller anthers.

    Whether or not Nectandra debilis should be included in N. megapotamica is open to discussion (see p. 168).

    As circumscribed here, N. megapotamica seems to comprise two slightly different groups. Most specimens belong to the group which includes the types of the species and most synonyms. It is characterized by leaves with a narrow acumen, a scarcely visible reticulation, and without erect hairs in the axils of the secondary veins. The second group includes the types of N. briquetii and of N. membranacea var. saligna forma floribunda. It is characterized by leaves with a relatively indistinct, apically more rounded acumen, a slightly more distinct reticulation, and erect hairs in the (often slightly bullate) axils of the secondary veins. Several collections from the Brazilian state of S3o Paulo as well as some from Mato Grosso and Paraguay belong to this group. I have refrained from giving it specific status because the characters mentioned above vary ± continuously, sometimes apparently within one population, and they are not strictly correlated with each other. Erect hairs in the axils of the secondary veins are also found in the type of N. riedelii var. longipaniculata Vattimo, which is discussed under N. psammophila, although it will key out to N. megapotamica.

    Sello 2997 has been selected as lectotype of Nectandra saligna because it is the only one of the syntypes that has been cited by all subsequent authors. In the description of Oreodaphne tweediei, Meissner cited a Tweedie collection, which he had seen in Hooker’s herbarium and in W. The latter specimen has been destroyed, so that the former remains the only choice for a lectotype. The variety cymulosa is based on Widgren 393, without indication of a herbarium. Therefore a lectotype may be selected arbitrarily among the specimens that Meissner had seen. A similar situation is found in Nectandra racemifera. Again only one collection was cited, Regnell III 86*, and no herbarium. Later, however, Meissner (1870) stated that the type was in “herb. Mart.,” which is now mainly at BR, but partly also at M. Isotypes are found in both herbaria, and one of them must be chosen as a lectotype. It should be noted, however, that Regnell collections with the same number are not necessarily the same collection (seep. 185).

    Hassler (1919) used the name Nectandra membranacea instead of N. megapotamica, based on Persea membranacea Sprengel. Hassler’s name has been widely accepted, especially in Paraguay, although it is not only a later homonym of N. membranacea (S w.) Griseb., but also based on a misidentification. The specimen which Sprengel annotated as Persea membranacea belongs to this species, but in his Systema (1825) Sprengel based the name P. membranacea explicitly on "Laurus Sw.,” the basionym of Nectandra membranacea (Sw.) Griseb., which is entirely different (see p. 94).

    Under variety saligna, Hassler marked his own collection 11833 as “typica.” Nevertheless it is not the type of the variety, because the name is explicitly based on N. saligna.

  • Common Names

    canela, Canela amarela, Canela bosta, Canela burro, Canela fedorenta, Canela imbuia, Canela louro, Canela pimente, Canela preta, Canela que fede, canelao, canelinha, laurel-i, laurel-jú, laurel saihyú, laurel, laurel amarillo, laurel ayuy, laurel guayaca, laurel negro, laurel bianco

  • Distribution

    Southern Minas Gerais (Brazil) to Uruguay, in usually moist forests from near sea level to 1000 m altitude. Flowers from July to October, with very few exceptions. Fruits mainly from December to February.

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