Persea krugii Mez

  • 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

    Persea krugii Mez

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree or shrub to 15 m.; branchlets solid at internodes, sparsely tawny-strigose to densely tawny-sericeous; petioles 0.5-1.2 cm. long, slender, densely to sparsely tawny-strigose; leaf-blades S-9 cm. long, 1.5-3 cm. wide, subcoriaceous elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, the tips acuminate to acute to obtuse, the bases acute to broadly obtuse, the upper surface glabrescent, the lower surface glabrescent to densely sericeous, occasionally glaucous, the costa impressed above, prominent beneath, the 4-6 pairs of primary nerves divergent at 30-50°, obscure on both surfaces, the reticulation obscure on both surfaces. Inflorescences axillary, paniculate, each exceeding its subtending leaf; pedunde 3-6.5 cm. long, slender, sparsely to densely tawny-strigose, the rachises 2.5-5.5 cm. long; pedicels 1.5-3 mm. long, densely to sparsely tawny-sericeous; flowers 3.5-4 mm. long; outer perianth-segments 1.3-1.7 mm. long, 1.3-1.7 mm. wide, the tips sharply acute, densely tawny-sericeous without, glabrous within; inner perianth-segments 2.5—3 mm. long, ovate, densely tawny-sericeous on both surfaces; stamens about 2.5 mm. long, the anthers about 1 mm. long, the filaments about 1.5 mm. long, the filaments of series I and II strigose, the anthers square to ovate, quadrilocular, introrse; filaments of series III strigose, the glands subsessile, adnate to the basal 2/5-1/2 of the filament, the anthers oblong, quadrilocular, lateral or laterally extrorse dehiscence; staminodia of series IV sagittate with terminal bristles; gynoedum glabrous (except in Valeur 735), the ovary subglobose to ellipsoid; style 1.3 mm. long, slender. Infructescence mulufrucate; pedunde and pedicels lignescent; perianth-segments patent, enlarged, persistent in their entirety; fruits globose, 1 cm. in diameter.

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Found in pine assodadon on limestone substrate (fide Proctor). Hispaniola 800-1800 m. alt. and Puerto Rico

  • Discussion

    Persea hypoleuca, var. domingensis Mez, Jahrb. Bot. Gart. Berlin 5: 175. 1889.

    Persea domingensis Mez, Arb. Kgl. Bot. Gart. Bres. 1: 116. 1892.

    Vernacular name. Canel: Puerto Rico.

    Type collection. P. E. E. Sintenis 4702, Adjuntas, Puerto Rico (lectotype B, isolectotypes C, F, GH, MO, NY, P, US).

    Mez noted a relationship of P. krugii with P. borbonia, a United States species, and with P veraguasensis from Central America and southern Mexico. This association is seemingly correct.

    In his monograph Mez described P. krugii and P. hypoleuca, the latter including variety domingensis. Three years later he raised the variety to specific rank. The Nectoux specimen, type of P. domingensis, and Buch 1009, 1426, and 1717 differ from the remaining collections of P krugii by the more numerous and more widely divergent primary nerves, and sparser pubescence. T h e venation characteristics specified above indicate an affinity with P. hypoleuca, but the leafshape, inflorescence, and geography suggest inclusion under P. krugii, at least until more material is available for study.