Twenty-nine genera of Lauraceae have been recorded in America (van der Werff, 1991) 
and, as can be seen from the revisions mentioned above, much work remains. Although some 
genera are currently being revised, several need attention to clarify their limits, subdivision and 
relationships. One of these genera is Cinnamomum, the subject of this research project, which 
contains several species that are important elements in the submontane forests of the Neotropics. 
The recognition of Cinnamomum in the Neotropics 
Whether Cinnamomum should be recognized in the New World or not has been in dispute 
for almost forty years (Kostermans, 1952; 1957; 1961). The difficult taxonomy of the Lauraceae 
has had much to do with the present state of confusion about the distribution of that genus, and 
the lack of uniform taxonomical criteria to deal with the species, has precluded the solution of 
the problem. Next I explain several aspects of the problem and the objective of my study. 
Genera in the Lauraceae are recognized on the basis of combinations of characters that 
intergrade among these taxa occasionally. Floral and fruiting characters have been mostly used to 
circumscribe taxa at the genus level, for instance, how many and which stamen whorls are fertile, 
number of sporangia in the anthers, extent of development of staminodia in the fourth whorl of 
the androecium, and extent of hypanthium development in the fruit. Relationships among genera 
have also been inferred on the basis of those characters. 
General morphological features of Cinnamomum, namely, triplinerved or pinninerved 
leaves, cymose-paniculate inflorescences, flowers with three whorls of fertile stamens (mostly 
with four sporangia) of which the innermost is extrorse, staminodes of the fourth whorl present 
and well developed, and fruits seated on a cupule (mostly with tepals persistent), are shared with 
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