Persea weberbaueri 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 weberbaueri Mez

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrub (Weberbauer) ; branchlets striate, tawny-sericeous, slightly aromatic; petioles 8-10 mm. long, slender, striate, tawny-strigulose; leaf-blades 3.5-6.5 cm. long, 1.5-2.5 cm. wide, subcoriaceous, elliptic to ovate, the tips broadly acute, the bases broadly cuneate, the upper surface glabrescent, the lower surface tawnysericeous, the costa impressed above, prominent beneath, the 5-6 pairs of primary nerves divergent at 35-45°, reticulation obscure. Inflorescences multiflorous, spreading, paniculate, axillary, each almost equaling its subtending leaf; peduncles 0-2 cm., puberulous; pedicels 3.0 mm. long, slender, tawny-sericeous; flowers 5.5 mm. long; outer perianth-segments 2-3.5 mm. long, broadly ovate, sharply acute at the tips, tawny-sericeous without, glabrous within; inner perianth-segments 5.5 mm. long, 3 mm. wide, elliptic, tawny-sericeous without and within; all stamens almost equaling the outer perianth-segments, the filaments 0.8 mm. long, the anthers 2 mm. long, the filaments of series I and II densely strigose, the anthers quadrilocular, broadly ovate; filaments of series III densely strigose, their glands subsessile, the stalks adnate to the basal 1/7 of the filament, the anthers oblong, quadrilocular, laterally dehiscent; staminodia of series IV narrow, densely dorsally strigose, with terminal bristles; gynoecium densely pilose, the ovary 1.5 mm., subglobose, constricted at the base into a very short stipe; style 2 mm.; stigma peltate. Infructescence not seen.

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Southeastern Peru.

  • Discussion

    The closest relative of P. weberbaueri morphologically and geographically is P. trollii. T h e stamens of both species are small, about equal in length to the outer perianth-segments. Persea weberbaueri can be separated morphologically by its shorter and proportionately broader elliptic leaves, with broadly acute tips. There is also a possible altitudinal and geographical distinction, but having seen only a single collection of each species it is impossible to be certain. Together these form the western extension of this section.