Nectandra cordata Rohwer
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Authority
Rohwer, Jens G. 1993. Lauraceae:
. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 60: 1-332. (Published by NYBG Press) -
Family
Lauraceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Peru. Loreto: Balsapuerto, 220 m, Feb 1933 (fl), Klug 2907 (holotype, MO; isotypes, F, GH, NY, US).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Ex affinitate Nectandrae membranaceae sed foliis basi cordatis in sicco nigrescentibus bene distincta.
Species Description - Trees (type specimen from an 8 m tree). Branchlets 5 cm below terminal bud ca. 2.5-6.5 mm in diam., ± distinctly angular (thinner ones only slightly compressed, thicker ones almost winged), with a moderately dense cover of short, appressed hairs immediately below the terminal bud, quickly becoming sparser or glabrescent; terminal buds narrow, ca. 3.5-5.5 mm long, ca. 1-2 mm thick, densely covered with short, appressed hairs. Petioles 3.5-9 mm long, 1.34 mm thick, almost completely hidden by the leaf base, irregularly roundish below, convex to shallowly canaliculate above, indument ± as on twigs. Leaves alternate, ± lanceolate-oblong, widest ca. 2/5-3/5 from the base (in larger leaves usually above the middle), (13.5-)20-32 cm long, (4.5-)6.5-12.5 cm wide, 2.3-3.4 times longer than wide, tip ± tapering towards a distinct acumen, base distinctly cordate, margin flat to slightly bent down, midrib above distinctly impressed and especially in apical part usually slightly convex, very prominent below, secondary veins 7-11 pairs, diverging at 40-60°, in mid-lamina running at an angle of 20-35° to the midrib, ± slightly impressed and sometimes slightly convex above, distinctly prominent below, tertiary venation scalariform, slightly raised to slightly impressed above, slightly raised to almost prominent below. Indument on both surfaces consisting of inconspicuous, short, appressed hairs, even in young leaves sparse on both sides but sometimes slightly denser on and along veins, soon becoming glabrous or nearly so. Gland dots only visible in young leaves, like pinpricks (see p. 14). Inflorescences in the axils of uppermost foliage leaves or occasionally some of them in the axils of cataphylls below a vegetative bud, less often apparently terminal, ca. 13 mm in diam. at the base, on a twig of 2.3-6 mm diam., 7.5-20 cm long, reaching ca. 2/5 to almost the length of the subtending leaf; peduncle 27 cm long, i.e., ca. 1/6-2/5 the length of the inflorescence, lateral branches (6-)8-14 below terminal cyme (the lower branches not always entirely cymose), branched 2-4 times, indument consisting of short, appressed hairs, sparse on peduncle, sparse to moderately dense on flowers. Pedicels ca. 1.2-3 mm long, ca. 0.3-0.5 mm thick. Flowers ca. 3.5-4.2 mm in diam., tepals ± (ovate-)elliptic, ca. 1.4-1.7 mm long and ca. 0.9-1.2 mm wide, with fine papillae on the inside surface, dense at the tip, much sparser to glabrous at the base. Stamens ca. 0.6-0.8 mm long including a distinct filament (0.3-0.4 mm), anthers with minute apical papillae, the outer ones transverse elliptic, broadly rounded to almost obtuse at the tip, the inner ones ± roundish-obtrapeziform, ± truncate to broadly rounded at the tip. Staminodes ca. half as long as the stamens, very slightly clavate, slightly papillose on adaxial side, probably slightly glandular on adaxial side, free. Pistil ca. 1.2 mm long, glabrous, ovary ± ellipsoid, style ± as long as the ovary. Receptacle cup-shaped, only slightly closed above by stamens and staminodes, with some appressed hairs inside. Fruit unknown.
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Discussion
Nectandra cordata is easily recognized by its relatively large, nearly glabrous, dark olive brownish-drying leaves with a distinctly cordate base. The flower structure leaves little doubt that N. cordata is related to N. membranacea, but although this latter species is rather variable, it does not even come close to N. cordata in the structure of the leaf base.
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Common Names
muena
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Distribution
Known only from the type.
Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America|