Persea lingue Nees

  • 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 lingue Nees

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree to 30 m.; branchlets angular, densely cinnamonieous-pilose; petioles 1-1.5 cm., slightly dilated, cinnamomeous-pilose; leaf blades 6-11 cm. long, ( 3.5-6 cm. wide, subcoriaceous, elliptic to obovate, the tips acute to rounded, the bases cuneate to rounded, the upper surface glabrescent and glaucescent, the louver surface cinnamoneous-pilose, the costa impressed above, prominent beneath, the 4-8 pairs of lateral nerves divergent at 25-40°, impressed above, prominent beneath, the reticulation obscure on both surfaces. Inflorescences axillary, paniculate, each shorter than its subtending leaf; peduncles 2-4 cm. long, densely cinnamoneous-pilose; pedicels 2-3 mm. long, cinnamoneous-pilose; flowers 5-6 mm. long; outer perianth-segments 2-3 mm. long, 2-2.5 mm. wide, ovate, cinnamoneous-pilose without, glabrous within; inner perianth-segments 4-6 mm. long, spatulate to subelliptic, cinnamoneous-pilose without and within; stamens about 4.5-5 mm. long, the filaments about 2.5-3 mm., the anthers about 2 mm. the filaments of series I and II sparsely pilose, the anthers oblong-ovate, dorsally pilose, quadrilocular; filaments of series III pilose, the glands subsessile and adnate to the basal 1/4-I/2 of the filament, the anthers oblong, quadrilocular; staminodia of series IV sagittate, lacking terminal bristles; gynoecium glabrous, the ovary subglobose to ellipsoid; style 2.5-3 mm. long; stigma peltate, decurrent. Infructescence hax'ing thickened pedicels; perianth-segments reflexed, later abscissing from their bases; fruits 1.4-1.7 cm. long, ellipsoid, dark.

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. West-central Chile, mostly lowland.

  • Discussion

    Laurus lingue R. & P. Flor. Peruv. 4, t. 358. 1802.

    Persea lingue var. ß canescens Nees, Syst. Laurin. 157. 1836.

    Persea lingue var. [Greek] palustris Nees, Syst. Laurin. 157. 183

    Type collection. J. Dombey 203 (lectotype M A . isolectotypes B, F, P, NY).

    For the morphological and phylogenetic discussion see P meyeniana.

    As in all the species described, only validly published names have been cited in the synonymy. Nees referred to the names Laurus linguy Miers ex Cruiksh., Laurus Hge, and Laurus palustris; Meissner to Laurus linge Ruiz in addition to those mentioned b) Nees; Mez also cited these in his list of synon)Tns. All of these epithets have been taken from herbarium sheets and have never been validly published. T h e citation of herbarium names by these monographers is not unusual. Though they are not discussed under other species, the large number of nomina nuda found here seems to necessitate the above explanation.

    Though the Dombey collections dted as types lack a number, all appear to be from the same collection as the one from the Ruiz and Pavon Herbarium which is minus a collector's name and number. T h e Madrid specimen was chosen as lectotype because it was probably the basis of Ruiz and Pavon's pictorial diagnosis.