Persea veraguasensis Seem.

  • 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 veraguasensis Seem.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Tree to 10 m.; branchlets solid at internodes, densely tawny-strigose, angular, strongly striate, the bark not aromatic; petioles 2.5-4.5 cm. long, tawny-strigose, slender; leaf-blades 6.5-13.5 cm. long, 3-5.5 cm. wide, subcoriaceous, ovate, the tips acute, the bases mostly acute to occasionally obtuse, the upper surface glabrous, the lower surface moderately tawny-strigose, the costa impressed above, prominent beneath, the 8-10 pairs of primary nerves divergent from the costa at 50-60°, obscure above, prominulous beneath, the reticulation obscure on both surfaces. Inflorescences subterminal, narrow, paniculate, multiflorous, about equal to the leaves; peduncles 2-6 cm. long, tawny-strigose, rachises 2-4 cm. long; flowers subsessile, 3.5-5 mm. long, densely tawny-strigose; outer perianth-segments 2-2.5 mm. long, 2-2.2 mm. wide, ovate, tawny-strigose without, glabrous within; inner perianth-segments 3.5-5 mm. long, 2-2.2 mm. wide, the tips sharply acute, sericeous on both surfaces; stamens about 3 mm . long, the filaments about 1.5 mm. long, the anthers about 1.5 mm. long, the filaments of series I and II densely tawny-strigose, the anthers oblong-ovate, quadrilocular; filaments of stamens of series III, densely tawny-strigose, the glands subsessile and subbasal, the anthers oblong, laterally or extrosely dehiscent, quadrilocular; staminodia of series IV subsagittate to spatulate; gynoecium glabrous, the ovary subglobose; style 1.5-2.3 mm. long; stigma triangular-peltate. Infructescence multifructate, well developed; pedicels 2.5 mm. long, thickened; perianth patent, persistent, ligneous; fruit 8-12 mm. long, globose, glaucous, apiculate.

    Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Oak forests, savannas, pastures, and slopes of mountains, in Costa Rica and Panama, 1000-1800 m. alt.

  • Discussion

    Persea veraguensis Meissn. in DC. Prodr. 15(1): 51. 1864. (Same as preceding, but Meissner changed the spelling.)

    Vernacular name. Aguacatillo in Costa Rica.

    The relationship of P. veraguasensis with P. podadenia and with P. liebmanni is quite apparent when studying the group. The strictly subterminal inflorescences which are longer relative to the leaf length than in the case of the other two species, and the broader almost rhomboid shaped lea^es aid in the identification of this species.

    There might be some confusion with the Central American P. caerulea which can be distinguished if observed closely. T h e strigose pubescence, the narrow inflorescence, the subsessile flowers, the relatively longer outer perianthsegments, and the persistence of the perianth-segments in their entirety in fruit, distinguish P. x'craguasensis.

    See also P. krugii.