1963 



BOTANY OF THE GUAYANA HIGHLANDS PART V 



85 



The species appears to be associated with the " glomerata ' ' complex, but is 

 easily distinguished from the latter by the presence of hermaphrodite flowers, 

 by the more loosely reticulate leaves, by the more dense and more persistent 

 ferruginous-tomentose pubescence of the young branchlets, and particularly by 

 the fruits which in 0. glandulosa are ellipsoid, almost wholly exserted, seated 

 in a shallow, subpateriform-campanulate, verruculose cupule subtended by a 

 thickened pedicel. The fruit of 0. glomerata, on the other hand, is oblong or 

 ellipsoid, not more than 10 mm long and (4-) 5 mm broad, and snugly enclosed 

 one-third to one-half their length in a suburceolate, cyathiform, short-stipitate 

 cupule subtended hy a comparatively slender pedicel. 



Ocotea guianensis Aublet, PI. Guiane 2: 781. 1775. Mez, Jahrb. Bot. Gart. Berlin 

 5: 296. 1889. 



Ocotea guyanensis Aublet, PI. Guiane 4: pi. 310. 1775. 

 Type. French Guiana. Aublet (possible isotype ? fr. GH). 



Distribution. Spectacular tree of varying height with dioecious flowers, orig- 

 inally described from French Guiana, occurring generally throughout the 

 Amazon Basin as far west as Colombia. VENEZUELA. Bolivar: common under- 

 story tree, forested area on top of ridge in vicinity of km 134 bordering head- 

 waters of Rio Cuyuni, NE of Luepa, Steyermark d° Nilsson 510 (st. NY) ; in 

 rainforest between Camp 2 and Camp 3, slope forest, Tirepon-tepui, Wurdack 

 34052 fl. NY); southwestern-facing forested slopes of Chimanta-tepui 

 (Torono-tepui), between Base Camp and steep slopes above valley of Rio Tirica, 

 Steyermark 75417 (fr. NY) ; selva pluvial, Zon?. • campo diamantifero Uaiparu, 

 region de los Rios Tcabaru, Hacha, y cordillera sin nombre a 280° de la cabeceras 

 del Rio Hacha, Bernardi 2742 (fr. NY), 2801 (<J fl. NY) ; cerca de la boca del 

 Icabaru, Rio Carom, Car dona 1676 (st. NY) ; en la margen de la selva de tierra 

 firme, Victorino, Rio Gnainia. Williams 14817 ( J 1 fl. F) ; along Rio Guainia, just 

 below Banderita, Wurdack & Adderley 44193 (J* fl. NY). COLOMBIA. In- 

 tendencia del Meta : Sierra de la Macarena, scrub forest on summit of Approach 

 Ridge, Central Mountains, Philipsoti & Idrobo 1882 (fr. BM, NY). 



Meissner recognized three varieties of this widespread species, argentea, 

 sericea, aurea, but I agree with Mez that these should be considered as one species 

 for the distinction in each variety is a minor one. The strict, ascending habit of 

 the leave:, with brightly colored, sericeous under surfaces, sets the species 

 apart without question. Except for these last-mentioned striking leaf-character- 

 istics, 0. guiam nsis is similar to 0. glomerata with which complex it is probably 

 most closely associated. 



Ocotea glomerata (Nees) Mez, Jahrb. Bot. Gart. Berlin 5 : 294. 1889. 

 Oreodaphne glomerata Nees, Linnaea 21: 515. 1848. 



Vernacular Names. Laurel (Steyermark, Williams) ; Louro (Cowan & 

 Maguire). 



Type. Savanna bei Pirara im Brittischen Guiana, Julio $, Rich. Schomburgk 

 675 (isotype, J fl., fragm. NY). 



Distribution. Large tree with dioecious (polygamo-dioecious ?) flowers in 

 glomerules, growing generally throughout the coastal area from Brazil and the 

 Guianas to Trinidad and Venezuela. VENEZUELA. Bolivar: en la margen de 

 selva baja, La Paragua, Williams 12812 (fr. F) ; rolling forest between km 38 



