Nectandra fulva Rohwer

Authority

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

Family

Lauraceae

Scientific Name

Nectandra fulva Rohwer

Type

Type. Venezuela. Amazonas: Dep. Río Negro, 0-1 km E of Cerro de Neblina Base Camp which is on Río Mawarinuma, 140 m, 0°50'N, 66°10'W, 27 Nov 1984 (fl, fr), Liesner & Kral 17338 (holotype, MO).

Description

Species Description - Trees, to 20 m (rarely shrubs). Branchlets 5 cm below terminal bud 1.9-3.2 mm in diam., ± angular at first, with a relatively dense, copper-colored indument immediately below terminal bud, consisting of very short to long (ca. 1 mm), curled to almost straight hairs, quickly becoming sparser below the tip and revealing the blackish epidermis; terminal buds ± ovate, 5-6.5 mm long, 1.5-2.8 mm thick, densely covered with predominantly ± straight, ± appressed, reddish hairs. Petioles (8-)10-16 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm thick, roundish below, only slightly irregular, ± flat to shallowly canaliculate above, indument below as on twigs, denser above. Leaves alternate, (ob)lanceolate-oblong to (oblanceolate-elliptic, rarely elliptic, widest at the middle or slightly above the middle, 12-26 cm long, 3.3-8.5 cm wide, (2-)2.5-3.5(-4.2) times longer than wide, tip acuminate, base acute or almost cuneate but often extended at the very base into a short projection along the petiole, margin flat, midrib above slightly impressed and usually slightly convex, prominent below, secondary veins usually very slightly impressed above, prominent below, (6-)7-9(-10) pairs, diverging at 50-55 (-65)°, in mid-lamina running at an angle of 25-35° to the midrib, the distal ones often loop-connected, tertiary venation scalariform, very slightly raised above, (like the finer venation) noticeably raised below. Indument consisting of predominantly short, strongly curled, yellowish hairs above, densely covering the entire surface (only in leaves that develop around flowering time, compare N. acutifolia), ± quickly wearing off in intercostal area, indument below (moderatly) sparse, consisting of short, appressed hairs in intercostal area and slightly longer, more reddish, curled hairs on veins, mature leaves glabrescent above, slowly subglabrescent below. Gland dots present but sometimes inconspicuous. Inflorescences in the axils of distal leaves, 1-1.5 mm in diam. at the base, on a twig of 1.5-3.5 mm diam., 7-12(-15) cm long, reaching ca. 1/2 to 4/5 the length of the subtending leaf; peduncle 3.5-6(-7.5) cm long, i.e., ca. 1/2 the length of the inflorescence, with a moderately dense to sparse indument similar to that on twigs, closer to the flowers becoming shorter, denser and more yellowish, lateral branches (2-)4(-6) below terminal cyme or cluster of cymes, branched 2-4 times. Pedicels 3.5-7.5 mm long, 0.4-0.7 mm thick. Flowers (7-)9-10 mm in diam., tepals ± elliptic to elongate-elliptic, 2.6-4.5 mm long and 1.8-2.5 mm wide, papillosity dense and thick on the inside surface. Stamens ca. 0.9-1.4 mm long including the very short filament, anthers papillose, distinctly prolonged at the tip, in the first whorl suborbicular to broadly rhombic, with a rounded or obtuse tip, in the second whorl slightly narrower, ± ovate to trullate with an acute to parabolic tip, in the third whorl almost roundish-rectangular, the tip truncate to broadly rounded. Staminodes very small but thickish, papillose at the tip, hidden between the inner stamens and united with them at the base. Pistil ca. 1.7-2.7 mm long, ovary ellipsoid, glabrous, style ca. as long as the ovary, papillose. Receptacle deeply urceolate, glabrous inside. Only immature fruit known, cupule nearly hemispherical, ca. 5 mm deep and 10 mm in diam., developing 6 small, thick teeth on the margin, each corresponding to the midvein of a tepal, pedicel very slightly thickened, berry ovoid to elongate, ca. 10-18 mm long, and ca. 7-8 mm in diam.

Discussion

Nectandra fulva is very similar to some western Colombian forms of the variable N. acutifolia, but some differences in the indument and especially the dentate cupules set it apart from that group. The latter character suggests a relationship with N. acuminata and N. crassiloba. In these two species the cupules are much more strongly lobed, and in contrast to N. fulva the leaf base is distinctly inrolled. I have seen, however, one collection from Amazonian Colombia (G. Gutierrez V. & Schultes 968, NY) which, just like N. fulva, shows both lobed cupules and a (nearly) flat leaf base. Although the leaves in this collection are relatively old, the dense indument on the upper surface is still largely preserved, and the lower surface shows a slightly denser and less appressed indument than is known from N. fulva. Furthermore, many of its leaves (but not all of them) are subopposite. Therefore, it does not fit in any of the known species.

Distribution

Known from only one population near the Neblina Base Camp on the Río Mawarinuma, on river banks, probably influenced by black water. Flowering material has been collected in April, July and November. Immature fruits have been collected in November, February and March.

Venezuela South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America|