Nectandra cerifolia Rohwer

Authority

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

Family

Lauraceae

Scientific Name

Nectandra cerifolia Rohwer

Type

Type. Ecuador. Morona-Santiago: Cordillera de Cutucú, western slopes, along a trail from Logroño to Yaupi, 2°46/S, 78°06'W, 2000 m, Nov 1976 (fl), Madison et al. 3569 (holotype, US; isotype, GH).

Description

Latin Diagnosis - Species quoad structuram florum ad Nectan-dram membranaceam accedens, sed foliis parum bullatis subtus perglaucis bene distincta.

Species Description - Small trees. Branchlets 5 cm below terminal bud ca. 2-3.7 mm in diam., at first distinctly angular, with a (moderately) dense cover of very short and (fewer) slightly longer (up to ca. 0.3 mm) hairs, ± straight, appressed to somewhat ascending, older twigs more roundish but still with longitudinal ridges, indument slowly becoming sparser; terminal buds (only two seen) ± ovoid, ca. 3.5-5.5 mm long, ca. 2 mm thick, densely covered with hairs similar to the longer ones on twigs. Petioles 3-7 mm long, 1.5-2.3 mm thick, irregularly roundish below with broad ridges, ± flat above, with narrowly decurrent margin, indument ± as on twigs. Leaves alternate, elliptic, widest ± at the middle, 7.5-13 cm long, 3.6-6.6 cm wide, 1.9-2.6 times longer than wide, tip obtuse to very indistinctly acuminate, the very tip rounded, base ± obtuse to almost acute, margin flat to slightly bent down, midrib and secondary veins distinctly impressed and usually slightly convex above, prominent below, secondary veins 5-9 pairs, diverging at 45-65°, in mid-lamina running at an angle of 25-50° to the midrib, tertiary venation mixed, mainly percurrent, ± level and often scarcely visible above, raised below, intercostal areas slightly bullate, distinctly glaucous below (Fig. 4E, F). Indument on both surfaces consisting of ± appressed hairs, slightly longer and finer above than below, on both sides initially ± moderately sparse, subglabrescent above, slowly becoming sparser below. Gland dots in young leaves ± distinct above, later inconspicuous. Inflorescences in the axils of foliage leaves, 0.9-1.4 mm in diam. at the base, on a twig of 2.3-5 mm diam., 2.5-7.5 cm long, reaching ca. 1/3 the length to almost the length of the subtending leaf; peduncle 1.54 cm long, i.e., ca. 1/2-2/3 the length of the inflorescence, lateral branches 2-6 below terminal cyme, branched once or twice, indument dense, ± as on twigs. Pedicels extremely short or up to ca. 1 mm long, ca. 0.7-0.9 mm thick. Flowers ca. 4-4.5 mm in diam., tepals ± elliptic, ca. 1.5-1.8 mm long and ca. 1-1.2 mm wide, with fine papillae on the inside surface, dense near the tip, much sparser at the base, the distal part usually also with some hairs. Stamens ca. 0.9 mm long including a distinct filament of ca. 0.3 mm, anthers without papillae, in all three whorls ± rounded-squarish to rounded-rectangular, ± truncate at the tip. Staminodes reaching ca. half the length of the stamens, slightly clavate, slightly glandular at the tip on adaxial side, their filaments with some hairs. Pistil ca. 1.8 mm long, glabrous, ovary ± ellipsoid, style reaching ca. 2/3 the length of the ovary. Receptacular tube deeply paraboloidal, almost as deep as the stamens are long, covered with short appressed hairs inside. Fruit unknown.

Discussion

Nectandra cerifolia is remarkable for its slightly bullate leaves with distinctly glaucous lower surfaces. The indument on the twig is reminiscent of N. japurensis, which otherwise shows little similarity. On first glance it also seems as if the lower leaf surface might be papillose, but this appearence is caused by the strongly developed wax cover (Fig. 4 E, F). Judged by its floral characters, N. cerifolia appears to belong to the group of N. membranacea.

Distribution

Known only from the type, which is from elfin forest.

Ecuador South America| Morona-Santiago Ecuador South America|