Ocotea humblotii Baillon

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 : 254

16. Ocotea humblotii Baillon

( Fig. 5 )

Bulletin mensuel de la Société linnéenne de Paris 1: 453 (1885).

Ocotea domatifera Kosterm., Communication (Pengumuman) of the Forest Research Institute, Indonesia, 60: 12 (1957) .

— Typus: Madagascar. Vallée de l’Andalangy, 200-800 m, 12-14.XI.1950, fr., Humbert & Capuron 24212, (holo-, P [ P00573372 ]! ; iso-, P [ P00573373 , P00573374 ]!) .

Ocotea pedunculata Kosterm., Communication (Pengumuman) of the Forest Research Institute, Indonesia, 60: 20 (1957) .

— Typus: Madagascar. Massif de l’Anjanaharibe, 3.XII.1950, fr., Service Forestier 957 (holo-, P[P00541624]! ; iso-, K, P[ P00541625 , P00541626 ]!, TEF) .

TYPUS. — Madagascar. Antsianaka. 21.XII.1882, fls., Humblot 536 (holo-, P [ P00541631 ]! ; iso-, K, MO, P [ P00541632 , P00541633 ]!) .

SELECTED SPECIMENS SEEN. — Antsiranana. Réserve Spéciale Anjanaharibe-sud, N of Andapa , Malcomber et al. 2682 ( MO, P) ; Antsiranana. Sava, Sambava , Bevontro , forêt d’Antsahandroboka , Razakamalala et al. 3164 ( MO, P) ; Toamasina. Fiv. Maroantsetra, Comm. Antakotako , along Andramofotsy river , Antilahimena et al. 2263 ( MO, P).

DISTRIBUTION. — Ocotea humblotii occurs in forest along the eastern escarpment from Perinet north to Sambava and Vohémar, at altitudes from 250-1100 m.

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers: September -December; fruits: February, May, August.

VERNACULAR NAMES. — Varongy mainty, tafononana, tafononana fotsy, tafononana mavo.

DESCRIPTION

Tree, to 40 m tall. Twigs angular, light browntomentellous; terminal buds light brown-tomentellous. Leaves alternate, chartaceous, 8-19 × 3.5-8 cm, base acute or obtuse, tip acute, upper surface glabrous, lower surface glabrous or with a sparse, minute indument, hairs appressed, venation on upper surface immersed or midrib and lateral veins slightly impressed, lower surface with raised midrib and lateral veins, tertiary venation immersed, scarcely visible; lateral veins 4-7 on each side; domatia present, consisting of deep cavities with a slit-like opening (but see discussion) often with flaps at the opening, without conspicuous tufts of hairs (sometimes minute hairs present). Petioles 1.2-2.3 cm long, with similar indument as twigs. Inflorescences in axils of normal leaves and of deciduous bracts at tip of twigs or along leafless short shoots, tomentellous, to 15 cm long. Tepals 6, 2- 3 mm long, pubescent on both surfaces; stamens 9, 4-celled, 1-1.5 mm long, filaments pubescent, anthers glabrous, staminodia 3, stipitiform, pubescent. Ovary glabrous or with a few hairs; receptacle inside pubescent or glabrous. Cupule deeply cup-shaped, c. 3 cm wide, 1.5 cm tall; fruit ellipsoid, 3 × 2 cm.

REMARKS

The circumscription of Ocotea humblotii is unsatisfactory. As accepted here, it includes all specimens with alternate, large, nearly glabrous leaves which have domatia consisting of deep cavities with a slit-like opening. However, as already noted by Kostermans, the type of O. humblotii lacks these domatia. The indument of the inside of the receptacle, usually a constant character, varies from densely pubescent to glabrous. With the available material no correlation has been found between presence/absence of domatia, pubescence of receptacle and distribution. Therefore, the choice is either to maintain the species as circumscribed by Kostermans (this includes probably more than one species) or to recognize one or more new species based on variation of a single character. I prefer the former and accept O. humblotii in a very wide sense. See also note under Messmer 749 in the section on probably undescribed species at the end of this treatment. Ocotea domatifera and O. pedunculata are placed in synonymy; both have fruiting types and cannot be separated from O. humblotii .

Figures

FIG. 5. — Distribution of Ocotea faucherei (Danguy) Kosterm. (N), O. humbertii Kosterm. (p), O. humblotii Baill. (l), O. involuta Kosterm. (Ì) and O. zahamenensis van der Werff, sp. nov. («).