Nectandra canescens Nees

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Lauraceae

  • Scientific Name

    Nectandra canescens Nees

  • Type

    Type. Brazil,  in sylvis secus Rumen Amazonum Provinciae Paraënsis et in sylvis ad Madeira fluvium Provinciae Fluminis Nigri, Martius, Herb. Fl. Bras. 2750 (lectotype, M, see discussion; isolectotypes, B s.n., GZU s.n.).

  • Synonyms

    Nectandra magnoliifolia Meisn.

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrubs or mostly small trees, rarely up to 20 m tall. Branchlets 5 cm below terminal bud 2.25 mm in diam., longitudinally furrowed and often distinctly irregularly angular, the younger parts with a yellowish to reddish-brown indument of mostly both very short hairs and longer (0.20.7 mm), erect hairs, in flowering collections the short hairs ± dense and subpersistent, the longer hairs becoming sparser with age, in postfloral and fruiting collections the short hairs (almost) absent; terminal buds ± elongate-ovate, 4.3-9 mm long, 1.5-3.3 mm thick, densely covered with appressed to ascending, yellowish to reddish hairs. Petioles 5-16 mm long, (1.6-)2-3 mm thick, in young leaves often flattened, irregularly roundish below, often longitudinally furrowed, usually canaliculate with ridges along the central furrow above, indument as on twigs. Leaves alternate, mostly ± oblanceolate but varying towards obovate, elliptic, oblong or lanceolate, widest at or mostly slightly above the middle (up to 2/3 from the base), 9-27 cm long, 4-11.5 cm wide, (2.1-)2.4-3.6(-4) times longer than wide, tip acuminate (acumen often short but always distinct), basal part of the leaf broadly acute to narrowly cuneate, the base itself abruptly obtuse to truncate, margin flat to narrowly bent down, midrib above convex in a slight impression, very prominent below, secondary veins slightly impressed above, prominent below, the distal ones often loop-connected, 9-14 pairs, diverging at 40-60(-75)°, in mid-lamina running at an angle of 30-55° to the midrib, tertiary venation usually scalariform, rarely percurrent or with some laterally oriented intersecondaries, usually ± level above, often scarcely visible, raised below. Indument (in leaves developed at anthesis, see below) consisting of pale yellowish, strongly curled, short hairs on the entire surface and more erect, reddish hairs on midrib and largest veins above, the former initially very dense but often quickly wearing off, consisting of short, appressed hairs and longer, ascending to erect, straight to curled, reddish hairs below, mainly on veins, not uncommonly crowded in the axils of secondary veins, in young leaves sparse to moderately dense, but always less dense than above, in mature leaves the short hairs becoming very sparse, the longer ones often lost completely. Gland dots present but often rather inconspicuous. Inflorescences in the axils of distal leaves, 1.1-1.8(-2.5) mm in diam. at the base, on a twig of 1.8-5 mm diam., (3-)5-13 cm long, reaching ca. 1/4 to 2/3 the length of the subtending leaf (mostly ca. 1/2); peduncle (1.8-)2.5-6.5 cm long, i.e., 3/5 to 2/3 the length of the inflorescence (usually slightly more than 1/2), lateral branches (0-)2-4 below terminal cluster of cymes, branched (l-)2-4 times, indument dense, consisting of both short and longer, ± erect, yellowish to slightly reddish hairs. Pedicels very short or up to 3.5 mm long, 0.4-1 mm thick. Flowers 7.5-11 mm in diam., tepals ± elliptic to elongate-obovate, 3.2-4 mm long and 2-2.8 mm wide, papillosity dense and (moderately) thick on the inside surface, often relatively long. Stamens ca. 1.3-1.7 mm long, subsessile or filament reaching up to 1/4 the length of the anther, anthers heavily papillose, in the two outer whorls long ovate to trullate, longer than wide, the sterile tip acute to parabolic, in the third whorl anthers roundish-rectangular or ob-trapeziform, the tip obtuse to truncate. Staminodes thick, distinctly united with the inner stamens at the base. Pistil ca. 2.2-2.5 mm long, ovary relatively small, ± ellipsoid, glabrous, style as long as the ovary or slightly longer, papillose or glabrous. Receptacle spheroidal (upper part formed by united bases of stamens and staminodes), glabrous inside. Only immature fruit known, berry elongate-ellipsoid, ca. 15 mm long, and ca. 7 mm in diam., cupule cup-shaped, at this stage ca. 5 mm high and 8 mm in diam., pedicel very slightly thickened.

  • Discussion

    Nectandra canescens is recognized by the characteristic shape and the indument of the leaves. In most cases the leaves are ± cuneately narrowed towards the base, but at the very base they are abruptly obtuse to truncate. Only in the syntypes of N. magnoliifolia are the leaves wider, so that the point where the margin turns towards the petiole is less distinct.

    Nectandra canescens is one of the few species of Nectandra in which the indument of the young leaves (during anthesis) is distinctly denser above than below. However, the dense felt-like indument on the upper surface is often quickly lost, and it is not developed in leaves that unfold outside the flowering season. The structure of the indument, and the flower structure, place Af. canescens in the group of Af. acutifolia, but especially the type also shows some similarity to Af. amazonum.

    In the original publication, Nees cited a Martius and a Sello collection, both without numbers. Later (1836) he indicated that the Martius collection was named Persea canescens in M, and that the Sello collection was numbered 433 in Berlin. Mez (1889) recognized that these specimens were not conspecific, and retained the name Af. canescens for the Martius specimen only. The Sello specimen was placed in Af. rigida var. canescens (see p. 288). This constitutes an effective lectotypification.

    Also Nectandra magnoliifolia was described based on two collections, Riedel 1323 and Spruce 1693. The first of these is a mixed collection, representing this species and N. oppositifolia. Therefore, the second syntype has been selected as the lectotype. In the original publication the epithet was spelt "magnoliaefolia,” but in accordance with Art. 73.8 of the Code it has to be changed.

    Because of the characteristic leaf shape and indument, Prance et al. 9340 (HBG, MO, NY, US), from Roraima, will probably key out to Nectandra canescens. It is placed here with doubt, not only because of the geographic distance but also because it differs from the other collections by fewer lateral veins, smaller stamens, and lobed cupules. It is reminiscent of the geographically close N. fulva, from which it differs in the outline of the leaves.

    Toro 567 (NY), from central Colombia, apparently represents a closely related new species. Its leaf base is not abruptly obtuse at the petiole, and its flowers are distinctly clustered. Within the closely knit Nectandra acutifolia group, however, I hesitate to describe a species based on a single collection.

  • Common Names

    moena amarilla, moena blanca

  • Distribution

    Inundated forests on sandy soil in western Amazonia. Flowers from August to October. Young fruits have been collected in February.

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