Aniba muca (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez

  • Authority

    Kubitzki, K. & Renner, Susanne S. 1982. Lauraceae I (Aniba and Aiouea). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 31: 1-125. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Lauraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Aniba muca (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez

  • Type

    Type. Peru. Ruiz et Pavon s.n., fr (holotype, MA, n.v.; isotypes, BM, K).

  • Synonyms

    Laurus muca Ruiz & Pav., Aydendron muca Nees, Ocotea oblanceolata Rusby

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree to 11 m; branchlets ca. 2 mm in diam., angular, laxly and minutely rusty -tomentellous, glabrescent. Leaves evenly distributed along branchlets, blade chartaceous or subcoriaceous, (ob-)lanceolate, 7-22 x 2-6 cm, base acute, apex acute and acuminate (acumen to 1.5 cm long), glabrous above, beneath micropapillate and minutely pubescent, glabrescent, midrib prominent, lateral nerves 7-10 pairs, slightly prominent and fused near margin; petioles tomentellous, glabrescent, 0.8-1.5 cm long. Panicles axillary, to 4 cm long, rather many-flowered, densely and minutely tomentellous. Flowers rusty-tomentellous, 1.7-2 mm long, subsessile, gradually merging into tube, tube appressed-pubescent inside; pedicels 0.5-1 mm long; tepals fleshy, subequal, 0.8-1 mm long, appressed-pilose within, inner ones fimbriate at margin; stamens 0.8 mm long, of ser. I and II with depressed, triangular, glabrous anthers and large cells (valves curved upwards when opened), and broad, pilose filaments narrowed towards the base, of ser. III with glabrous anthers and pilose, biglandulate filaments; staminodes absent; pistil 1.5 mm long, pubescent; stigma minute, truncate. Berry ellipsoid, 2.5 x 1.5 cm; cupule pateriform, rather thin, rugulose with rusty warts, 1.5 x 1.5 cm, merging into thick, short pedicel.

  • Discussion

    This species differs from A. panurensis by its shorter inflorescences (which it shares with A. coto) and, more importantly, by the pateriform cupule. Some of the specimens, including the type, have distinct, narrowly lanceolate, cuneate leaf blades, which are unique in the genus.

  • Distribution

    In the colline and lower montane belt of the eastern slope of the Andes. Flowers May-Nov.

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