Nectandra astyla Rohwer

Authority

Rohwer, Jens G. 1993. Lauraceae: . Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 60: 1-332. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Lauraceae

Scientific Name

Nectandra astyla Rohwer

Type

Type. Peru. San Martín: Zepelacio, near Moyobamba, 1100-1200 m, Oct-Nov 1933 (fl, fr imm), Klug 3288 (holotype, F; isotypes, MO, NY, US).

Description

Latin Diagnosis - Ex affinitate Nectandrae cissiflorae, inter species huius gregis foliis parvis basi obtusis vel truncatis planis dignoscenda, a peraffmi N. viburnoide etiam pilis ramulorum longioribus et antheris maioribus diversa.

Species Description - Trees (type specimen from a 6 m tree). Branchlets 5 cm below terminal bud 1.6-2.8 mm in diam., initially slightly ridged and furrowed, with a dense, light brownish gray cover of very short, tightly appressed hairs and longer (ca. 0.30.5 mm), ± ascending hairs, older twigs roundish, with the shortest hairs subpersistent as a grey cover; terminal buds sprouting at anthesis. Petioles 6-11 mm long, 0.7-1.5 mm thick, roundish and slightly ridged below, deeply canaliculate above, indument above ± as on twigs, slightly sparser and with fewer longer hairs below. Leaves alternate, elliptic to ovate-oblong, widest ca. 2/5-1/2 from the base, 3-9.5 cm long, 1.6-4.5 cm wide, 1.4-2.9 times longer than wide, the tip short acuminate, base obtuse, broadly rounded or truncate (rarely very slightly cordate), margin flat or nearly so, midrib distinctly impressed above, very prominent below, secondary veins ± impressed above, ± prominent below, 6-9 pairs, diverging at 40-65°, in mid-lamina running at an angle of 30-45° to the midrib, tertiary venation scalariform to percurrent, in some leaves with a few, small, laterally oriented intersecondaries, scarcely visible, level above, very slightly raised below. Indument above consisting of moderately short (0.2-0.3 mm), ascending to appressed hairs, initially ± sparse on the lamina, (moderately) dense on midrib and secondaries, glabrescent except for the base of the midrib, indument below consisting of very short, appressed hairs and a few much longer (up to 0.7 mm), ± ascending hairs, the former initially moderately sparse to moderately dense, ± slowly becoming sparse, but soon very inconspicuous. Gland dots not seen. Inflorescences in the axils of just expanding leaves (sometimes some of these leaves apparently reduced to cataphylls), 0.7-1.3 mm in diam. at the base, on a twig of 1.3-3.2 mm diam., ca. 3.5-8.5 cm long, ca. 2-3 times longer than the subtending immature leaf (slightly longer than mature leaves); peduncle 1.8-4 cm long, i.e., ± half the length of the inflorescence, lateral branches 4-8 below terminal cluster of cymes, branched 2-3 times, indument on peduncle similar to that on twigs, becoming shorter and more curled closer to the flowers, sparser on tepals. Pedicels 1-3 mm long, ca. 0.4 mm thick. Flowers ca. 4-5 mm in diam., tepals ovate to almost triangular, ca. 1.3-1.7 mm long and ca. 0.8-1.2 mm wide, covered with relatively long, fine papillae on the inside surface, margin of outer tepals glabrous. Stamens ca. 0.8-1 mm long, anthers papillose at the tip, in the two outer whorls ± pentagonal to almost transverse elliptic, with a ± obtuse (acute to rounded) tip and a filament of ca. 0.3 mm length, in the third whorl stamens ± clavate, with an obtuse to rounded tip and a filament of ca. 0.4-0.5 mm length. Staminodes relatively large, reaching 1/2-2/3 the length of the stamens, clavate, papillose on abaxial side, free. Pistil ca. 1.2 mm long, glabrous, pear-shaped, style extremely short Receptacle very shallowly bowlshaped, glabrous inside. Berry ellipsoid, ca. 12-20 mm long, ca. 7-9 mm in diam., cupule funnel-shaped, with a shallow cup of ca. 6 mm diam. and 1 mm height on a slightly but increasingly thickened pedicel.

Discussion

Nectandra astyla is recognized mainly by its small leaves with a flat, obtuse to truncate base. Its flower structure shows that it is a member of the N. cissiflora group, although the sterile tip of the anthers seems to be slightly larger than usual in this group. It is closely related to N. oides, which differs by larger leaves, a shorter indument on the twigs, and extremely small anthers. Nectandra astyla is also similar to N. canaliculata, which differs by a ± revolute leaf base and a slightly lobed cupule.

Distribution

Known only from the type collection.

Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America|