Nectandra gracilis 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: Prov. Maynas, Mishana, Río Nanay, halfway between Iquitos and Santa Maria de Nanay, 130 m, 22 Jul 1980 (fl), A. Gentry et al. 28939 (holotype, MO; isotype, HBG).
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Description
Latin Diagnosis - Species foliis paucinervibus apice longe gracileque acuminatis notabilis; a Nectandra cuspidata, qua saepe forma foliorum convenit, differt indumento ramulorum adpresso, foliis subtus plerumque axillis nervorum barbellatis, floribus majoribus, filamentis pro ratione brevioribus, antheris apice aliquantum productis, receptaculo minus profundo.
Species Description - Trees to 25 m. Branchlets 5 cm below terminal bud 1.3-2 mm in diam., initially slightly angular and ± densely covered with pale, short, appressed hairs, becoming roundish and slowly glabrescent; terminal buds ovate to elongate, ca. 3-5 mm long and ca. 1 mm thick, with a dense cover of ± short, ± appressed hairs. Petioles 5-13 mm long, 0.6-1.6 mm thick, irregularly roundish below, canaliculate above, with short, appressed hairs, denser above than below, quickly becoming sparse. Leaves alternate, (narrowly) lanceolate to rarely ovate-elliptic, widest ca. 2/5 from the base to ca. at the middle, 5-15 cm long, 1.6-4.8 cm wide, 2.7-4.7 times longer than wide, the tip with a very long and fine acumen, base acute to attenuate, margin flat to very narrowly recurved, midrib and secondary veins ± impressed above (the latter often only slightly), prominent below, secondary veins (2-)3-5(-6) pairs, diverging at 30-50°, in mid-lamina running at an angle of 10-30° or occasionally almost parallel to the midrib, tertiary venation finely scalariform, often relatively inconspicuous, very slightly raised to very slightly impressed above, ± raised below. Indument consisting of short, appressed hairs, ± sparse from the beginning above, denser on midrib, subglabrescent, initially sparse to moderately dense below, becoming (moderately) sparse and inconspicuous, axils of secondary veins below usually with some longer (up to 0.3 mm), erect hairs surrounding a glabrous spot. Gland dots not visible or very inconspicuous. Inflorescences in the axils of distal leaves, 0.5-0.9 mm in diam. at the base, on a twig of 0.8-2.7 mm diam., 3.510 cm long, reaching ca. half the length to ca. the length of the subtending leaf; peduncle 1.5-5 cm long, i.e., ca. 1/2 to (rarely) 2/3 the length of the inflorescence, lateral branches 2-4(-7) below terminal cyme, branched 2-3(-4) times, indument consisting of short, appressed to ascending hairs, sparse to intermediate on peduncle, denser on receptacle. Pedicels 3.5-9 mm long, 0.30.5 mm thick. Flowers ca. 7-9 mm in diam., tepals ± spatulate to elongate-elliptic, ca. 3-4.2 mm long and ca. 1.7-2.4 mm wide, densely covered with ± fine papillae on the inside surface. Stamens ca. 0.7-1.1 mm long including a distinct filament of 0.2-0.4 mm, anthers papillose at the tip, in all three whorls ± roundish-pentagonal or occasionally almost transverse-elliptic, with a short but distinct, obtuse to rounded sterile tip. Staminodes roundish or slightly club-shaped, reaching 1/2-2/3 the length of the stamens, ± papillose and with a few hairs on abaxial side, often with a small, inconspicuous glandular patch near the tip on adaxial side, ± free. Pistil ca. 1-1.2 mm long, ovary spheroidal to ellipsoid, glabrous, style extremely short, glabrous or with a few papillae. Receptacle broadly hemispherical, with a few very inconspicuous, tightly appressed hairs inside. Mature fruit unknown, possibly with a slightly lobed cupule (very young cupule slightly lobed).
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Discussion
Nectandra gracilis has a very characteristic leaf shape, with the slender acumen representing 1/5 to more than 1/3 of the entire length of the leaf. The central part of the (distal) secondary veins often runs ± parallel to the midrib, and their distal part gradually approaches the midrib. Similar leaves are sometimes found in N. cuspidata, but in that species the flowers are entirely different. Vegetative material of N. gracilis usually can be separated from N. cuspidata by the presence of erect hairs in the axils of the basal secondary veins on the lower leaf surface.
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Common Names
moena amarilla, punchi moena
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Distribution
Known from Amazonian Ecuador and Peru, probably more widespread. Grows in seasonally inundated (and non-inundated?) forests, at least sometimes on white sand. Flowers June to September.
Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America|