Ocotea nervosa 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 : 262-263

24. Ocotea nervosa Kosterm.

( Fig. 10 )

Notulae systematicae 8: 80 (1939).

— Typus: Madagascar, Vondrozo , Farafangana, 1.IX.1926, fr., Decary 4914 (holo-, P [ P00541635 ]! ; iso-, P [ P00541634 ]!) .

SELECTED SPECIMENS SEEN. — Fianantsaroa, Ampamaherana , Service Forestier 3184 (MO, P[P01955960], TEF) ; Fianarantsoa, Parc national de Ranomafana , Rakoto & Turk 104 (MO, P[ P01955965 ], TAN) ; Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana National Park , near village of Miaranomy, Anosimasina, Malcomber et al. 1604 (MO, P[ P01955963 ], TAN) .

DISTRIBUTION. — Ocotea nervosa has been collected on the eastern escarpment from Vatomandry to Farafangana between 600 and 1350 m altitude.

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers: August; fruits: December, March, June.

VERNACULAR NAMES. — Varongy, varongy mainty, varongy fotsy, taforona, varongyvaza.

DESCRIPTION

Tree, to 20 m. Twigs angular, finely appressed pubescent with whitish hairs, quickly becoming glabrous; terminal buds densely appressed pubescent. Leaves alternate, firmly chartaceous, elliptic or broadly elliptic, 7-21 × 5-11 cm, glabrous, base acute or obtuse, apex obtuse or acute, lateral veins 6-9, not very strongly developed, arching upwards near the margin, midrib and lateral veins raised, tertiary venation forming a lax reticulum on both surfaces, domatia absent. Petioles glabrous 1.2-1.5 cm long. Inflorescences axillary along leafless short shoots, pubescent, 3-8 cm long, cymose-paniculate. Flowers 5-6 mm in diameter, the tepals half-erect. Tepals 6, equal, sparsely appressed pubescent on outer surface, the inner surface more densely pubescent, 2 mm long; stamens 9, 4-celled, 1.5-2 mm long. Filaments pubescent, inner 3 stamens with 2 glands at the base of the filaments.

Pistil glabrous, 2.5 mm long, style as long as ovary, receptacle deep, cup-shaped, appressed pubescent inside. Fruit initially enclosed in the receptacle, at maturity cupule cup-shaped, c. 2 cm in diameter, 1-1.5 cm high, often with 3 pronounced ribs on the outside, mature fruit ellipsoid, 2.5 × 1.7 cm.

REMARKS

Ocotea nervosa is one of the three Ocotea species with rather large leaves which have a raised reticulation on the upper leaf surface. Ocotea cryptocaryoides has glabrous inflorescences and glabrous twigs (pubescent in O. nervosa ), while O. cymosa differs in having a finer reticulation on the leaves. The cupules of O. nervosa have sometimes three ribs on the outside and resemble in this the 6-ribbed cupules of O. cryptocaryoides .

The type of O. nervosa consists of a twig with leaves and detached fruits. The leaves of the type are large and oblong and do not quite match the other collections placed here.

Figures

FIG. 10. — Distribution of Ocotea madagascariensis (Meissner) Palacky (N), O. nervosa Kosterm. (p), O. trichantha Baker (l), O. trichophlebia Baker (Ì) and O. tsaratananensis van der Werff («).