Persea hintonii C.K.Allen
-
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
-
Description
Species Description - Large tree; branchlets angular, quite stout, the bark aromatic, densely tawnytomentose; petioles 1.5-4.5 cm. long, striate, subcanaliculate, densely tawnytomentose; leaf-blades 8-20 cm. long, 2.5-7 (-10) cm. wide, subchartaceous, elliptic to obovate-elliptic to ovate, the tips subacuminate to acute to obtuse, the bases obtuse to rounded, the upper surface glabrescent, dull, the lower surface densely to sparsely tawny-tomentose, pruinose, the costa prominulous above, prominent beneath, the 8-12 pairs of primary nerves divergent at 50-70°, prominulous above, prominent beneath, the reticulation obscure on both surfaces. Inflorescences axillary, narrowly paniculate to racemose to subcapitate, each 1/4-1/2 the length of its subtending leaf; peduncles 2-7 cm. long, densely tawnytomentose, the rachises 2-4 cm. long, flowers 4-5 mm. long, subsessile; outer perianth-segments 1.7-2.1 mm. long, 1.7-2 mm. wide, ovate, densely tawny-villous below, glabrous above; inner perianth-segments 3.5-4.8 mm. long, 1.2-2.5 mm. wide, narrowly elliptic to ovate-elliptic, densely tawny-villous on both surfaces; stamens about 2.5 mm. long, the filament 1.8 mm. long, the anthers 1.7 mm., the filaments of series I and II densely villous, the anthers ovate to elliptic, quadrilocular; filaments of stamens of series III, densely villous, the glands subsessile, adnate to the basal 1/3-1/2 of the filament, the anthers oblong, quadrilocular, laterally dehiscent; staminodia of series IV sagittate; gynoecium glabrous, the ovary subglobose to ellipsoid; style 1.7-2 mm. long; stigma peltate. Infructescence multifructate; perianth-segments patent, the outer persistent in their entirety, the inner abscissing 1/2 the distance from their bases; fruits 8 mm. long, elliptic to subglobose, glaucous.
Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Sierra Occidental, from Sinaloa to Guerrero, 400-1700 m. alt.
-
Discussion
Vernacular names. Tepehuacate: Nayarit; laurel-cimarron: Mexico.
The rather short and usually narrow inflorescences of P. hintonii are similar to those of P. podadenia, but they can be readily distinguished by the erect pubescence of the former and the appressed pubescence of the latter.
The specimens from Sinaloa, the northern jxirt of the range, differ from the main body of the material by their broader leaves and patent persistent perianthsegments subtending subglobose fruits (similar to P. chamissonis in the last characteristic). Fruiting material from the southern part of the distribution has ellipsoid fruits subtended by patent perianth-segments, the tips of the inner whorl deciduous. Perhaps when additional material becomes available, the position and rank of the material from the north will be more satisfactorily ascertained.