Ocotea auriculiformis Kosterm.

Werff, Henk Van Der, 2013, A revision of the genus Ocotea Aubl. (Lauraceae) in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, Adansonia (3) 35 (2), pp. 235-279 : 242

2. Ocotea auriculiformis Kosterm.

( Fig. 2 )

Communication (Pengumuman) of the Forest Research Institute, Indonesia 60: 6 (1957).

TYPUS. — Madagascar. Ivongo, Ambalavao, 27. V.1955, fls, Réserves Naturelles 7149 (holo-, P [ P00541607 ]! ; iso-, K!, P [ P00541608 ]!, TEF).

SELECTED SPECIMENS SEEN. — Prov. Fianarantsoa, Talatakely , Parc national de Ranomafana , Malcomber et al. 2099 ( MO, P [ P01977604 ], TAN) , Rakoto 367, (MO, P [P01977602], TAN) ; Iakora, Begogo , Bekora , forêt de Sahalava , Andrianjafy et al. 745 ( MO, P [ P02008016 ]) ; Toliara, Réserve Intégrale #11 ( Andohahela ), Parcelle 1, Randriamampionona 73 ( MO, P [ P01977601 ]).

DISTRIBUTION. — Ocotea auriculiformis is known from forests on the E. slope from Ambositra to Andohahela at altitudes from 600-1300 m.

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers: December-February; fruits: June (immature), October.

VERNACULAR NAMES. — Varongy, varongy mavo, varongy mainty, varony revinamontana.

DESCRIPTION

Tree, to 30 m tall. Twigs angular, minutely tomentellous, becoming glabrous with age; terminal buds densely brown-tomentellous.Leaves alternate, firmly chartaceous, (narrowly) elliptic, 10-15 × 3-6 cm, glabrous above, lower surface glabrous or with some scattered hairs or towards the base slightly tomentellous, gland-dotted, lateral veins 6-10, venation immersed or raised on upper surface, raised on lower surface, apex acute, base decurrent on petiole and with two inrolled lobes at the very base, margin inrolled (sometimes only in basal third of the leaf), domatia absent.Petioles tomentellous or subglabrous, canaliculate, 1-2 cm long. Inflorescences in the axils of bracts or along leaf less short shoots, tomentose, 3-12 cm long. Flowers 7-8 mm in diameter, white or yellow, tepals 6, equal, pubescent on both surfaces, c. 3 mm long, spreading to reflexed, stamens 9, 4-celled, filaments pubescent, inner three stamens with 2 glands at the base, staminodes 3, their base pubescent; pistil glabrous, c. 2.5 mm long, the ovary gradually narrowed into the style, receptacle deep, densely pubescent inside. Young fruits included in cupule, mature fruits 2.5 × 1.5 cm, cupule shallowly cupshaped, 18 mm in diameter, 9 mm high, pedicel not thickened.

REMARKS

Ocotea auriculiformis is characterized by its inrolled leaf margins, tomentellous twigs and raised reticulation on the lower leaf surface. Other species with inrolled leaf margins have smaller leaves and often lack the raised reticulation or tomentellous twigs. It resembles O. macrocarpa Kosterm. strongly and the main difference is that the latter species lacks the inrolled leaf margin.

Figures

FIG. 2. — Distribution of Ocotea ambrensis van der Werff,sp. nov. (N), O. auriculiformis Kosterm. (p), O. caudatifolia Kosterm. (l) and O. rigidifolia Kosterm. (Ì).