Nectandra brittonii Mez

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Lauraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Nectandra brittonii Mez

  • Type

    Type. Bolivia. La Paz: Guanai, ca. 600 m, May 1886 (fl), Rusby 2602 (holotype, NY).

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrubs or trees, up to 11 m tall. Branchlets 5 cm below terminal bud 1.2-2.2 mm in diam., the young growth ± irregularly angular, with an intermediate to dense cover of very short, appressed hairs, quickly glabrescent and becoming roundish, with only very narrow decurrent ridges; terminal buds ovoid to elongate, 2.54 mm long and 0.9-2 mm in diam., densely covered with short, appressed hairs. Petioles 4-15 mm long, 0.7-1.5 mm thick, roundish, deeply canaliculate above, with short, appressed hairs, quickly glabrescent. Leaves alternate, lanceolate or oblong to almost linear, widest ca. 1/4 from the base to ca. at the middle, 5.5-16.5 cm long, 1.5-3.8 cm wide, (2.7-)3.3-5.6 times longer than wide, the tip tapering towards a ± long acumen, base narrowly acute to attenuate, rarely obtuse, margin flat, midrib above distinctly convex in a slight impression, prominent below, secondary veins and finer veinlets ± level above, the major secondary veins ± slightly raised below, 7—12 pairs (but closer to the tip not distinct from higher order venation), diverging at 55-70°, in mid-lamina running at an angle of 40-60° to the midrib, tertiary venation mixed, predominantly lineate, ± reticulate, without a distinct parallel orientation, level to very slightly raised below, often scarcely visible. Indument consisting of short, appressed hairs, (almost) exclusively on midrib on both sides, rather sparse and inconspicuous, soon glabrescent. Gland dots sometimes visible on both sides, occasionally distinct above. Inflorescences arranged in the axils of cataphylls on axillary brachyblasts or below the terminal bud, 0.6-1 mm in diam. at the base, 1.2-4 cm long, reaching less than 1/10 to almost 1/2 the length of the closest foliage leaf; peduncle extremely short or up to 1.5 cm long, i.e., ca. 2/5 the length of the inflorescence, lateral branches 2-12 below the terminal flower, unbranched or branched once (many inflorescences botryoid), indument consisting of short, appressed to spreading hairs, moderately sparse to moderately dense on peduncle, usually slightly denser on receptacle, sparser on petals. Pedicels 2-7 mm long, 0.3-0.6 mm thick. Flowers ca. 4.8-6.5 mm in diam., tepals ± elliptic, ca. 2.2-2.7 mm long and ca. 1.3-1.8 mm wide, with thick papillae on the inside surface (on outer tepals often absent from the margin). Stamens ca. 0.7-1.1 mm long including the very short filament (up to 0.2 mm), anthers with a short but distinct, strongly papillose sterile tip (0.2-0.5 mm), in the two outer whorls ± transverse-elliptic, suborbicular or roundish-pentagonal, rounded toobtuse at the tip, in the third whorl roundish-obtrapeziform to roundish-pentagonal, obtuse to almost truncate at the tip. Staminodes reaching ca. 2/5-4/5 the length of the stamens, slightly clavate, papillose on abaxial side, united with the inner stamens at the base. Pistil ca. 1.5-1.7 mm long, glabrous, ovary ± ellipsoid, style short, reaching ca. 1/3— 2/5 the length of the ovary. Receptacle ± hemispherical, relatively open, glabrous or with appressed hairs inside. Fruit unknown.

  • Discussion

    The name is also used for N. matthewsii, and N. pseudocotea, which are very different from N. brittonii and very unlike each other even on first glance. Also given as a local name is moena de hoja fma larga, which is rather a description.

    Nectandra brittonii is easily recognized by its smooth, narrow leaves and its short inflorescences arranged on axillary brachyblasts. The two collections from the Peruvian department of San Martin appear on first glance much more delicate than the type, but the Hartshorn collection is clearly intermediate. The type is a relatively poor specimen from Rusby’s private herbarium, now NY, and I do not know of any isotypes. Its mature leaves are very similar to the Peruvian collections, but the young leaves and inflorescences appear to be arranged on much longer shoots. Unfortunately they are largely broken off, making it impossible to ascertain their structure.

    The leaves of Nectandra brittonii are also similar to those of N. sanguinea from the Guianas, which has a similar flower structure but much shorter anthers, and inflorescences originating from the axils of the foliage leaves.

    The collection M. G. Silva & R. Bahia 3131 (HBG, INPA, NY), from the Brazilian state of Para, shows similarities to the type of Nectandra brittonii and to N. sanguinea. Apparently most of its inflorescences originate from the axils of cataphylls on young twigs, but some clearly come from the axils of foliage leaves. Its flowers are similar to both species, but in contrast to both it has a relatively persistent, dense indument on the twigs, and erect hairs in the axils of the secondary veins on the lower leaf surface. The collection probably represents a new species related to N. sanguinea. Although it includes both flowers and young fruits, I still consider the material as inadequate for a description.

  • Common Names

    palometa micuna

  • Distribution

    Known from Bolivia and Peru, collected in pastures and in the understory of tall forest, between 300 and 700 m elevation. Flowering material has been collected in May, August, November and December.

    Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Pasco Peru South America| Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America|