Endlicheria nilssonii C.K.Allen

  • Authority

    Chanderbali, Andre S. 2004. (Lauraceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 91: 1-141. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Lauraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Endlicheria nilssonii C.K.Allen

  • Type

    Type. Venezuela. Bolivar: Wooded ridge, La Danta, along provisional road from km 125 to 127 between Leupa and Cerro Venamo, 1200 m, 17 Apr 1960 (fr), Steyermark & Nilsson 255 (holotype: NY).

  • Description

    Species Description - Trees to 30 m. Branchlets stout, midway along flush 3-5 cm diam., angular, sericeous, the surface concealed by the indument cover, trichomes short, to 0.1 mm, straight, appressed, light yellowish green; terminal buds plump, 4 × 3 mm, sericeous. Leaves alternate, widely and evenly spaced along current flush; petioles robust, to 1.5 × 0.3 cm, striate, the indument as on branchlets; laminae coriaceous, plane, ovate to elliptic, 10-15 × 4-6 cm, the base acute, briefly decurrent, the apex acute, acuminate for up to 0.5 cm, the margins minutely recurved throughout; upper surface deep green, waxy, the midrib and secondary veins immersed, the tertiaries prominulous; lower surface sparsely pubescent, the hairs as on branchlets, appressed, uniformly distributed, all vein orders raised, their prominence decreasing with rank; secondary veins 3-4 per side, ± evenly spaced, slightly more distant around midlamina, ascending at 45-60° (more acutely towards apex), arcuate, distal pairs loop-connected, the tertiaries roughly horizontal, between secondaries straight to forked. Staminate and pistillate inflorescences unknown. Fruits borne on claviform pedicels of up to 1 × 0.4 cm; cupules hemispherical, to 0.5 × 1 cm, glabrous outside and inside, the margins entire; drupes ellipsoid, to 1 × 0.7.

  • Discussion

    Endlicheria nilssonii is a poorly understood yet distinctive species. The combination of densely sericeous branchlets but only sparse appressed hairs on the leaves below is otherwise found only occasionally in E. metallica. Flowers are not known, but one staminode found persisting in fruit shows a distinct and densely pubescent filament and an ovate anther with a truncate apex. However, a tepal, also found on the cupule margin, provides a better appreciation of the flowers of E. nilssonii. This tepal is rather large and fleshy but, more important, densely pubescent with papillose hairs covering the inner surface. As such tepals only occur with rotate flowers (e.g., E. sericea), it is most likely that flowers of E. nilssonii are rotate. Even if not the case, the combination of pubescent fleshy tepals, densely sericeous branchlets, and sparse appressed hairs on the leaves below is unique in Endlicheria.

    In the truncate anther apices, pinnate venation, and sparse appressed indument on leaves below, this species approaches to subsericeous forms of E. paniculata, with which it is placed, with hesitation. Better material may later more clearly indicate its affinities.

  • Distribution

    Known only from the type material, taken from a tree found fruiting in April at ca. 1200 m in the highlands of eastern Venezuela.

    Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America|