Persea caerulea (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez

  • Authority

    Kopp, Lucille E. 1966. A tasonomic revision of the genus Persea in the Western Hemisphere (Perseae-Lauraceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 14: 1-117.

  • Family

    Lauraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Persea caerulea (Ruiz & Pav.) Mez

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree to 25 m., the sapwood white, the heartwood rosy; branchlets slender, tawny-strigulose, the bark frequently aromatic; petioles 2-5.5 cm. long, slender, tawny-strigulose; leaf-blades 8-24 cm. long, 4-12 cm. wide, chartaceous, ovate to lanceolate to elliptic to oblong-obovate, the tips attenuate to acute to obtuse to truncate, the bases acute to obtuse to subcordate to truncate, the upper surface glabrescent, the lower surface sparsely tawny-strigulose (rarely sparsely pilose), the costa plane above, prominent beneath, the 9-12 pairs of primary nerves divergent at 40-70°, plane and obscure above, prominent beneath, the reticulation prominulous on both surfaces. Inflorescences axillary, paniculate 1/2-3/4 the length of the subtending leaf; peduncles 4-11 cm. long, sparsely to densely tawnystrigulose, slender; rachises 3-12 cm. long; pedicels 3-5 mm. long, slender with subappressed tawny pubescence; flowers mostly 6-7 mm . long; outer perianthsegments 1-2 (-3) mm. long, 1.3-2 mm. wide, ovate to broadly ovate, densely tawny-strigose without, glabrous within; inner perianth-segments (4-) 5.5-6.5 mm. long, 2-2.5 mm. wide, tawny-sericeous without, pilose within; stamens about 4-5 mm. long, the filament about 3-4 mm., the anthers about 1-1.2 mm., the filaments of series I and II with subappressed pubescence, broadly oblong, mostly apiculate; filaments of series III with subappressed pubescence, the glands subsessile, adnate to the basal 1/3 to 1/2 of the filament, the anthers oblong, quadrilocular, laterally dehiscent; staminodia of series IV sagittate, densely pubescent with subappressed hairs, with terminal bristles; gynoecium glabrous, the ovary subglobose to obovoid; style (2-) 2.5-3.5 mm. long, slender; stigma triangularpeltate. Infructescence multifructate; pedicels thickened; perianth-segments reflexed, the apical 1/3-1-1/2 the inner whorl of segments decitluous; fruits 5-8 mm. long, depressed-globose, glaucous.

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution, Andean, from Honduras south to Bolivia and east to Venezuela, between 700 and 2000 m., within or at the edge of forests, occasionally along streams and in savannas.

  • Discussion

    Laurus caerulea R. & P., Fl. Per. 4, t. 350. 1802.

    Persea laevigata H.B.K., Nov. Gen. & Sp. 2: 157.

    Persea petiolaris H.B.K., Nov. Gen. & Sp. 2: 159. (Description of a fruiting specimen).

    Persea pyrifolia Nees & Mart, ex Nees, Linnaea 8: 50. 1833.

    Persea pyrifolia var. (3 (e.p.) Nees, Syst. Laurin. 146. (Bredemeyer spec). 1836.

    Persea laevigata, p caerulea Meissn. in DC. Prodr. 15(1): 49. 1864.

    Persea caerulea (R. & P.) Mez, Jahrb. Bot. Gart. Berlin 5: 171. 1889.

    Persea lignitepala Lasser, Bol. Soc. Venez. 9: 177. 1944.

    Vernacular names. Aguacate cimarron: Venezuela (Whitford 41). Aguacate de monte: Honduras (Standley 16863). Aguacatillo: Honduras (C. von Hagen & W. von Hagen 1135, Molina 2815); Nicaragua (Standley 20240); Costa Rica. (Solis Rojas 183, L. O. Williams 16155, 16582, 16587); Colombia (Bro. Daniel 726, 3886, Espina & Giacometto A13, Little 8458, Bro. Tomas 877); Venezuela (Vogl 379, L. Williams 10030, 10212). Aguacatilla de Laura: Colombia (Jaramillo 1779). Chicacun: Colombia (Cuatrecasas k Arbelnez 8114). Curapo: Colombia (Little 7380); Venezuela (Tamayo 2433). Curo cimarron: Venezuela (Gehriger 554, Steyermark 55957). Jobico: Venezuela (Steyertnark 55957). Maramacho: Bolivia (Steinbach 3082, 6663). Palta Palta: Peru (Cook & Gilbert 1626). Palto Palto (probably only a variation in spelling of Palta Palta) : Peru (J'argas 8516). Piano: Peru (Swada 96). Pumapara: Peru (Stork & Horton 10144).

    Uses. Firewood, medicine, houses, the bark for poisoning dogs and rats.

    Type collection. Probably H. Ruiz & J. A. Pavon 13/22, loc. non cit. (holotype MA, isotype F) .

    The relationship of this spedes is with P. buchtienii, P. venosa, and P. pyrifolia. The longer pedoles, larger leaves, usually greater angle of divergence of die primary nerves, longer radiises, shorter outer perianth-segments, and the geographical distribudon characterize and separate P. caerulea from P pyrifolia, its nearest relative.

    Except for P. alpigena, whidi is indigenous to Jamaica, most of the species dosely related to P. caerulea {P buchtienii, P. venosa, P. pyrifolia, P. microphylla, P. major) occur near the southern part of its range. This may indicate a southern origin and a northward distribution. T h e species is distributed over a wide geographical area and exhibits variauon mosdy in leaf-shape. In general, spedmens from the southern part of die range ha.ve oblong-obovate leaves, though in Bolivia some coUecdons have lanceolate, some broadly ovate and others have oblong-obovate leaves. In Colombia and \'enezuela it is not uncommon to find spedmens bearing leaves widi attenuate tips, and occasionally one with lanceolate, broadly ovate, and oblong-obovate leaves on the same branchlet. The Ieaf-shape of P. caerulea in Central America is almost exdusively lanceolate. The distribution of the leaf-shape character is suggestive of a dine. In most cases the pubescence on the leaves is puberidous, but one or two collections with pilose pubescence aie induded in this taxon, because the other characteristics are typical of P. caerulea.

    Three collecdons. Triana 1019, Lehmann 4726, and 1177, were in general similar to the other collections of P- caerulea, but because of the shorter inflorescences and smaller narrower leaves, they appear more delicate. Perhapw after more material has been found, their position can be determined with greater certainty.

    See also P. vesticula and P. major.