1963] 



BOTANY OF THE QUAY AX A HIGHLANDS PART V 



77 



Ocotea costulata (Nees) Mez, Jahrb. Bot. Gart. Berlin 5: 244. 1889. 



Qreodaphnr costulata Xees, Linnaea 21: 320. 1848. 



Vernacular Names. Laurel de tierra firme ( vVilliams) ; Louro camfora, louro 

 eanfora (collectors here not cited). 



Type. In Brittischen Guiana, Rich. Schomburgk 987 (second of syntypes cited 

 by Xees, 17 holotype, fide Mez ; isotype, fl. US). 



Distribution. Tree or shrub with hermaphrodite flowers described originally 

 from British Guiana, believed to extend through Para and Amazonas, Brazil, 

 along the Amazon to Rio Negro and Alto Orinoco of lower Venezuela. BRAZIL. 

 Amazonas: prope San Gabriel da Cachoeira, ad Rio Negro, Spruce 2093 (fl. GH, 

 NY). VENEZUELA. Amazonas: en la selva alta de tierra firme de Tamatama, 

 Alto Orinoco, Williams 15136 (fl. A, F) ; forest at base of Piedra Arauicaua, Rio 

 Yatua, Casiquiare, Maguire, Wurdack & Maguire 42615 (fr. NY). 



Mez included in Ocotea aeiphylla Spruce 2093 from the Rio Negro region, 

 which has leaves with blades that are larger, and consistently more full or 

 rounded and undulate towards the base, never sharply, though often minutely 

 recurved just above the petiole, giving the false appearance of being decurrent. 

 This latter situation obtains consistently throughout the collections of 0. 

 aciphylla. 



The following number may be an aberrant representative of 0. costulata, for 

 although the habit and general aspect are similar, the flowers show an instability 

 of staminal structure, the tissues are extremely thin in some instances and the 

 anther-cell structure indiscernible. Possibly this specimen has been subjected to 

 insect attack. 



Shrub or small tree, leaves brittle, leathery, glaucescent below, involute, 

 cupule red, fruit green, occasional on rock outcrop in open scrub-sedge savanna, 

 Imbaimadai, Upper Mazaruni River, British Guiana, Maguire d' Fanshawe 32161 

 (fl.,y. fr.NY). 



Ocotea sericiflora C. K. Allen, sp. nov. Fig. 43. 



Arbor ad 10 m alt., gemmis gracilibus attenuate lanceolato-ellipsoideis sub- 

 falcatis ad 6 mm longis fulvo-sericeis, ramulis teretibus. juventute minute fulvo- 

 sericeis mox glabrescentibus, atratis, sparse lenticellatis. Folia alternata, petiolis 

 robustis fulvo-pubescentibus mox ulabrescentibus canaliculatis, ad 15 mm longis 

 et 1.5 mm latis, laminis supra glabris, costa ad basim excepta. subtus minute 

 praesertim ad basim sparse pubescentibus, subcoriaceis, ellipticis raro subobova- 

 tisve, 14-16 cm longis et 4.5-5 (-6.2) cm latis, ad basim conspicue revolutis decur- 

 rentibus acutis, ad apicem acute acuminatis. acumine ad 20 mm longa et ad basim 

 8 mm lata, penninerviis, costa supra inconspicua plana ad basim leviter subtus 

 elevata, nervis 4-6-paribus utrinque gracillimis subtus perleviter elevatis, ad 

 angulo 35° divergentibus, rete venularum minuto utrinque aliquantum obscuro. 

 Inflorescentia axillaris vel subterminalis, gracilis, fulvo-sericea, paniculata, ad 10 

 cm longa, pedunculis 10-12 mm longis. Flores hermaphroditi, ad 7.5 mm longi, 

 dense fulvo-sericei, pedicellis pubescentibus, gracillimis, ad 2 mm longis; peri- 

 anthio albo campanulato, lobis ± earnosis, ad marginem submembranaceis, ad 

 3-3.5 mm longis, exterioribus ovatis, interioribus anguste oblongis, tubo ad 1.5 

 mm longo; staminibus ser I & II ad 1.5 mm longis antheris ovatis quam filamentis 



i" First syntype cited by Xees, SchomburgJc 929, referred by Mez to Nectandra pichurim 

 (H. B. K.) Mez. Both species bear leayes with conspicuously recuryed bases. 



