Litsea

Robi, A. J., George, Satheesh & Thushar, K. V., 2015, Litsea udayanii (Lauraceae): A new species from the southern Western Ghats, India, Phytotaxa 222 (1), pp. 44-50 : 44-45

Key to the South Indian species of Litsea .

1. Umbels born on 0.5–1 cm long brachyblasts.....................................................................................................................................2

- Umbels born on 1–10 cm long brachyblasts....................................................................................................................................15

2 Umbels sessile or subsessile, clustered..............................................................................................................................................3

- Umbels pedunculate, solitary or rarely clustered...............................................................................................................................7

3 Leaves opposite, fulvous-pubescent below ............................................................................................................... L. travancorica

- Leaves alternate, pubescent or glabrous below..................................................................................................................................4

4 Secondary veins 12–18 pairs; lamina fulvous-pubescent, impressinerved; perianth cup sessile or short stalked ...... L. bourdillonii

- Secondary veins 6–13; lamina glabrous or puberulent, not impressinerved; perianth cup stalked....................................................5

5. Lamina 6–11×1.3–2.0 cm, linear-lanceolate; flowers 4 per umbel; fruits 1× 1 cm, ovoid ............................................ L. mysorensis

- Lamina 6–18× 3–6 cm, elliptic-lanceolate or elliptic-ovate, oblong; flowers 4–6 per umbel; fruits 1–1.5× 0.8 cm, ellipsoid...........6

6 Bark pale yellow; leaves glossy above, chartaceous; secondary veins 6–8 pairs; 10–12 umbels in a cluster; flowers 5–6 per umbel ................................................................................................................................................................................ L. laevigata

- Bark pale brown; leaves not glossy above, thickly coriaceous; secondary veins 5–10 pairs; 2–4 umbels in a cluster; flowers 4–5 per umbel ........................................................................................................................................................................... L. coriacea

7 Umbels axillary or laterally, solitary..................................................................................................................................................8

- Umbels clustered or born on umbel-bearing short reduced branchlets............................................................................................10

8 Leaves glabrous; secondary veins 6–8 pairs, tertiary veins reticulate; flowers 5 per umbel; fruit stalk glabrous.......... L. ligustrina

- Leaves tomentose; secondary veins 7–16 pairs, tertiary veins scalariform-reticulate; flowers 4–12 per umbel; fruit stalk pubescent............................................................................................................................................................................................9

9 Shrubs or small trees; leaves sub-verticillate, apex abruptly acute or obtuse; secondary veins 11–16 pairs; tepals 6–8; stamens 16 ............................................................................................................................................................................................. L. ghatica

- Trees; leaves alternate or spirally arranged, apex acute or obtusely acuminate; secondary veins 7–15 pairs; tepals 0; stamens 18–20 ........................................................................................................................................................................... L. deccanensis

10 Fruits globose or sub-globose; perianth tube enlarged and turbinate...............................................................................................11

- Fruits ovoid or ellipsoid; perianth tube cup-shaped.........................................................................................................................12

11 Branchlets glabrous; leaves alternate, glabrous, white glaucous below; flowers 1–3 in a cluster, creamy-white; fruits sub-globose ........................................................................................................................................................................................... L. venulosa

- Branchlets greyish-tomentose; leaves sub-verticillate, tomentose, not glaucous below; flowers 2–5 in a cluster, purple; fruits globose........................................................................................................................................................................ L. quinqueflora

12 Branchlets, petiole, and midrib reddish-brown, glabrous; secondary veins 6–10 pairs, filiform; lamina 6–11× 2–4 cm, elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate; flowers 4 per umbel............................................................................................................ L. udayanii

- Branchlets, petiole, and midrib greenish-yellow, tomentose; secondary veins 6–14 pairs, thick; lamina 3–24× 1–15 cm, broadly elliptic-oblong or obovate, oblanceolate; flowers 6–8 per umbel....................................................................................................13

13 Large trees; leaves whitish glaucous below, tertiary veins scalariform-reticulate and prominent; fruits ovoid or broadly ovoid, ellipsoid, 0.8–3 cm long; perianth cup lenticellate or smooth.........................................................................................................14

- Shrubs to small trees; leaves bluish glaucous below, tertiary veins reticulate and faint; fruits ellipsoid, 1.3 cm long; perianth cup smooth ...................................................................................................................................................................... L. kakkachensis

14 Stamens 9; flowers creamy-white; berry 1× 0.8 cm; cupule 0.5×0.6, smooth, slightly pubescent; fruit stalk 1.2 cm long ................. ...................................................................................................................................................................................... L. monopetala

- Stamens 12; flowers yellow; berry 2.5–3× 1.5–2 cm; cupule 1× 1.5 cm, prominently lenticellate, glabrous; fruit stalk 0.5 cm long.. ........................................................................................................................................................................................... L. keralana

15 Flowers 9–15 per umbel; tepals 0–3; fruits globose; enlarged perianth tube shallow cup-shaped or nearly flattened.... L. glutinosa

- Flowers 4–6 per umbel; tepals 6–8; fruits depressed globose and ellipsoid; enlarged perianth tube deep cup-shaped...................16

16 Fruits 2× 2.5 cm depressed globose, seated on a large cup-like enlarged perianth tube; fruit stalk short and angular........................ ........................................................................................................................................................................................ L. nigrescens

- Fruits 1.5× 1 cm, ovoid or ellipsoid, seated on a small cup-like enlarged perianth tube; fruit stalk long, terete or angular............17

17 Leaves opposite, rigidly coriaceous, not glaucous below; tertiary veins reticulate and faint below; brachyblasts 2.5–6 cm long ..... ............................................................................................................................................................................................ L. oleoides

- Leaves alternate, coriaceous, glaucous below; tertiary veins scalariform-reticulate and prominent below; brachyblasts 5–10 cm long...................................................................................................................................................................................................18

18 Branchlets, leaves densely tomentose or pubescent; lamina 16–28× 3.5–10.5 cm; pale glaucous beneath.....................................19

- Branchlets, leaves glabrous or puberulent; lamina 8.5–18× 3–7.5 cm, white glaucous beneath......................................................20

19 Secondary veins 10–16 pairs; inflorescence 6 cm long, involucral bracts 4–7; flowers 5–8 per umbel; fruits ovoid, sparsely silky pubescent ........................................................................................................................................................................ L. floribunda

- Secondary veins 6–10 pairs; inflorescence 10 cm long, involucral bracts 5–8; flowers 5 per umbel; fruits ellipsoid, glabrous ........ ......................................................................................................................................................................................... L. wightiana

20 Leaves linear lanceolate, up to 8.5 cm long, densely puberulent below; brachyblasts up to 5 cm long......................... L. beddomei

- Leaves oblanceolate, elliptic-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, up to 18 cm long, glabrous below; brachyblasts up to 7 cm long......21

21 Fruits 2–2.5× 1 cm, ovoid to ellipsoid; cupule 10× 7 mm; fruit stalk glabrous and angular ................................................ L. stocksii

- Fruits 1.5× 0.8 cm, ellipsoid; cupule 7× 5 mm; fruit stalk sparsely silky-pubescent and terete ...................................... L. glabrata