Ocotea esmeraldana Moldenke

Authority

Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1964. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part V. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10: 1-278.

Family

Lauraceae

Scientific Name

Ocotea esmeraldana Moldenke

Description

Latin Diagnosis - Fructus viridis, fide coll., ellipsoideus, apiculatus, 10 X 5-6 mm, cupula rubra, fide coll., cyathiformi, vadosa, patenti, ad 8-9 mm longa et 2 mm alta, ad marginem ad 8 mm diam., stipe ad 2 mm longo, pedicello satis robusto, ad 4 mm longit.

Distribution and Ecology - Distribution. Small tree or shrub of extremely variable habit, bearing? hermaphrodite flowers, widespread in the savannas or along streams from the type locality and adjacent regions of the Upper Orinoco, north to Cerro Yapacana and Cerro Moriche, south to Rio Pachimoni-Yatua, a tributary of the Rio Casiquiare and west across the Rio Guainia into Colombia.

Discussion

Type. Shrub, Fish Creek, Esmeralda, Amazonas, Venezuela, 350 ft, Apr 1928-Apr 1929, G. H. H. Tate 963 (holotype? [male][female] fl. NY).

The great variation possible in a single taxon growing in savanna is extremely well exemplified by the above species. According to the collectors of The New York Botanical Garden, Maguire and Wurdack, various areas in and bordering the savannas give rise to characteristics that, without a series of plants from these differing areas for comparison, might easily lead the herbarium botanist to believe that several taxa were involved. The difference in size, texture, and reticulation of the leaves is not accompanied by correspondingly striking differences in fruit or flower structures. In general, the leaves are smaller and more coriaceous on plants in the open savanna than those of plants in more protected areas or along the shaded rivers. Minor differences in length of style, shape of ovary, and presence or absence of staminodia have been noted, but none are consistent for the varying habitats and so do not warrant, on the basis of present material, the erection of a series of varieties typifying them. Mature fruits of the species have not hitherto been noted.

The original description of O. esmeraldana states that pistillate flowers were not seen. The species seemingly is hermaphrodite. Very probably O. ceanothifolia (Nees) Mez belongs here with this complex, reported as hermaphrodite, based on Martius' specimen from Brazil, "Alto Amazonae in silvis ad flumen Japura pr. Porto des Miranhos et prov. Para in silvis ad flumen Amazonas." Only a photograph of the type from Japura is at hand, hence attention is merely drawn to the possibility that these taxa m a y be conspecific with the numbers cited from Venezuela and Colombia. Examination of Martius' type materials may entail a re-evaluation of the current collections and a subsequent change of nomenclature.