Aniba firmula (Nees & Mart.) 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 firmula (Nees & Mart.) Mez

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Rio de Janeiro (Nees cit. from Sincorá), other collections cited by Nees to be excluded: Sellow 369 (Nees cit. 3691), fl (lectotype, K; isolectotype, US).

  • Synonyms

    Aydendron firmulum Nees & Mart., Aydendron sellowii Meisn., Aniba laevigata (Meisn.) Mez, Aydendron laevigatum Meisn., Aniba gardneri Mez, Aydendron gardneri Meisn., Aniba albida Mez, Aniba viridis Mez

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree about 10 m; all parts fragrant; wood whitish; young branchlets sulcate, densely and minutely tomentellous, ca. 2 mm thick; terminal bud ca. 5 mm long, tomentellous; branches glabrescent, grey. Leaves evenly distributed along branchlets, blade chartaceous or (sub-)coriaceous, (obovate-lanceolate, or (obovate-elliptic, 6-23 x 1.5-6 cm, base cuneate or angustate, apex obtuse or acute and acuminate (acumen to 1.5 cm long); glabrous, shiny midrib, nerves and reticulate venation clearly visible above, yellowish micro-papillose, minutely pilose and, midrib excepted, glabrescent beneath, midrib and nerves prominent beneath, nerves 7-10 pairs, ascendent and arcuately united near margin, margin flat or subrevolute; petioles canaliculate, 0.6-1.5 cm long. Panicles axillary, minutely tomentellous, 4-10 mm long, many-flowered. Flowers densely tomentellous, 2-2.5 x 1.5 mm, ovary hardly distinct, gradually merging into pedicel, pedicel 0.5-1(-3) mm long, tube inside villous; tepals erect, subequal, (1-)1.3(-1.5) mm long, obtuse, inside at base laxly strigillose, outer ones ovate, ciliate at margin, inner ones spathulate, fimbriate at margin; stamens included, 1.3 mm long, those of ser. I and II with glabrous, triangular, depressed anthers and broad, pilose filaments, those of ser. III with glabrous anthers and pilose, biglandulate filaments; staminodes absent; pistil pubescent, 1.8 mm long; style rather thick; stigma minute, oblique. Berry ovate, to 2.8 x 1.6 cm; cupule subhemispherical, or campanulate, to 1.2 x 2 cm, beset with bright spots.

  • Discussion

    Aniba viridis was reduced into the synonymy of A. riparia (Nees) Mez by Kostermans (1938b, p. 906). In fact, the type of A. viridis is a flowering branch with young leaves on which the papillate epidermis is poorly developed.

  • Distribution

    In high forest. Flowers mainly Sep and (Nov, Dec-)Jan.

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