Persea grandiflora L.E.Kopp

  • 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 grandiflora L.E.Kopp

  • Description

    Species Description - Tree to 15 m.; branchlets coarse, non aromatic, densely tawny-sericeous; petioles 2.5-5 cm. long, moderately coarse, strongly striate, tawny-sericeous; leafblades 8-20 cm. long, 3.5-10 cm. wide, coriaceous, elliptic to broadly elliptic to ovate, the tips acute, the bases acute to obtuse, the upper surface glabrescent, dull or nitid, the lower surface densely tawny-sericeous, the costa plane to slightly impressed above, prominent beneath, the 7-9 pairs of primary nerves divergent at 45-50°, plane above, prominent beneath, the reticulation obscure on both surfaces. Infloresences axillary and subterminal, usually narrow, exceeding the subtending leaves in length; peduncles 0-6 cm. long, densely tawny-sericeous; pedicels 1-4 mm . long, tawny-sericeous; flowers 9-10 mm. long; outer perianth-segments 5 mm. long, 4 mm. wide, broadly ovate, tawny-sericeous without, glabrous within; inner perianth-segments 9 mm. long, 4.5 mm. wide, oblong, tawny-sericeous on both surfaces; stamens about 5.5 mm., the filaments about 4 mm. long, the anthers about 1.5 mm. long, the filaments of series I and II, densely pubescent, the anthers quadrilocular; filaments of the stamens of series III slender, pubescent, the glands subsessile, adnate to the basal 1/5 of the filament, the anthers quadrilocular, laterally dehiscent; staminodia of series IV broadly sagittate, bearing a terminal tuft of hairs; gynoecium sparsely pubescent, the ovary globose, sparsely pubescent on the upper portion; style 3 mm. long, pubescent; stigma peltate. Infructescence not seen.

  • Discussion

    Type collection. B. Maguire, J. Wurdack & C. K. Maguire 42191, Cerro de Neblina, Banks of Rio Yatua, Amazonas, Cairo Grande east of Cumbre camp. 1100 m. "Tree 10-15 m. Buds tawny." 24 Nov. 1957 (holotype NY).

    The leaf-shape, inflorescence, floral structure, and distribution suggest a relationship to P jen.mani; but the large leaves with their appressed tawny pubescence, the large flowers and the pubescent ovary readily separate P. grandiflora from P. jenmani.

  • Distribution

    Distribution. Southwestern Venezuela.

    Venezuela South America|