Persea jenmanii Mez
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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.
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Family
Lauraceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Tree to 12 m. or a shrub to 5 m.; branchlets not aromatic, angular, sparsely to densely ferrugineous- to rufous-lanate; petioles 1.5-3 cm. long, striate, ferrugineousdanate; leaf-blades 7.5-13 cm. long, 3-6 cm. wide, coriaceous, obovate to elliptic, the tips acute to acuminate, the bases acute to obtuse, the upper surface glabrescent, the lower surface moderately to densely ferrugineous- to rufouslanate and pruinose, becoming fuscous-lanate, the costa impressed above, prominent beneath, the 5-7 pairs of primary veins divergent at 30-45° from it, the redculation obscure. Inflorescences multiflorous, somewhat broad, axillary, paniculate, each 2-3 X the length of the subtending leaf; peduncle 1-2 cm. long, ferrugineous- to rufous-lanate; pedicels 3-4 mm., ferrugineous- to rufousdanate; flowers 5-6 mm.; outer perianth-segments 2.5 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide, ovate, ferrugineous-lanate without, glabrous within; inner-perianth segments 5 mm. long, 2.5 mm. wide, ferrugineous-lanate without and within; stamens approximately 3.2 mm., the filaments 2.2 mm., the anthers 1 mm., the filaments of series I and II sparsely pilose, the anthers oblong-ovate to square, quadrilocular; filaments of series III sparsely pilose, the glands sessile, their stalks adnate to the basal 1/6 of the filament, the anthers oblong, laterally dehsicent, quadrilocular; staminodia of series IV with terminal bristles; gynoecium glabrous, the ovary 1.0 mm. long, globose; style 1.5 mm. long, slender; stigma peltate. Infructescence not seen.
Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. British Guiana and Venezuela, in savannas about 1200 m. alt. (in flower).
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Discussion
Type collection. G. S. Jenman 864, Kaieteur. "A medium sized tree (in flower). Savannah, Potaro River." Sept., Oct. 1881. British Guiana (holotype K).
The type collection is very similar in appearance to the two collections made by Steyermark in Venezuela, Edo. Bolivar. This should not be surprising, for these localities are in close proximity to one another. T h e cited specimens from Duida belong to this taxon but vary in having denser pubescence, shorter inflorescences, and somewhat narrower leaves than the type.
The peduncles have been described as 1-2 cm. long and the type collection unquestionably falls in that range. T h e protuberances which occur at about 1—2 cm. from the base of the peduncles in Steyermark 60493 probabl) indicate that branches were formerly present at these points, and hence that these peduncles are within the range noted in the description.
The short axillar) peduncles correlated with a glabrous ovary indicate a close relationship between this taxon and P rufotomentosa.