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(Last Modified On 11/12/2012)
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(Last Modified On 11/12/2012)
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Genus
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OCOTEA Aublet
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PlaceOfPublication
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Pl. Guian. 2:780, t. 3I0. 1775.
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Synonym
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Oreodapbne Nees, PI. Laurin. 15. 1833. Dendrodaphne Beurling in Vet. Akad. Handl. Stockholm 1854:145. 1856. Sassafridium Meissner in DC. Prodr. 151:171. 1864.
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Description
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Evergreen trees or shrubs. Leaves usually alternate, occasionally subverticillate or subopposite, the blades penninerved. Inflorescence generally axillary or sub- terminal, paniculate. Flowers usually perfect, occasionally dioecious, usually distinctly pedicellate. Perianth-tube conspicuous or lacking entirely. Perianth- lobes equal or at most subequal, thin and membranaceous to thick, fleshy and papillose, mostly deciduous. Two outer series of stamens in the perfect flowers variously shaped with filaments of varying lengths; anthers with or without con- nective tissue, with 4 introrse cells arranged in 2 planes, one above the other. Inner series of stamens with longer filaments bearing 2 sessile or stipitate glands varying in size and shape; anthers with 4 cells extrorse, or the 2 upper lateral and the 2 lower extrorse. Staminodia, if present, usually aborted. Gynaecium usually entirely glabrous, the style rarely pubescent. Stigma usually conspicuously tri- angular and often decurrent, occasionally inconspicuous and somewhat discoid. First three series of stamens of dioecious pistillate flowers replaced by staminodia with variously developed anthers; gynaecium as in perfect flowers. Stamens of staminate flowers well developed; gynaecium absent or aborted. Fruit a berry borne in a usually simple-margined cupule that is flat and disk-like or campanulate to hemispherical, with an undulate margin supported by an enlarged pedicel.
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Habit
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trees shrubs
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Distribution
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A genus consisting of approximately 340 recognized species centerad, except for 27 or so which occur in Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands, in tropical America. About -21 of the American species are to be found in the West Indies, 5 in Mexico, 29 in Central America, and 'the remaining in South America, the South American ones being native to Brazil.
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Note
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Further study may show the Madagascar and Mascarene species to belong to another genus. Used for furniture, interior con- struction, and one species for marine construction because of durability of the timber.
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Key
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a. Largest leaf-blades not less than 20 cm. long. b. Leaf-blades heavily coriaceous, and densely and conspicuously retic- ulate and shining above. c. Leaf-blades pubescent beneath; petioles pubescent ............................ 1. 0. COOPERI cc. Leaf-blades glabrous beneath; petioles glabrous. d. Leaf-blades elliptic, prominently shining above, base cuneate, 6 (-9) pairs lateral nerves ............................................. 2. 0. SEIBERTI dd. Leaf-blades elliptic to subobovate, somewhat shining above, the base attenuate, 12 or more pairs lateral nerves ............................ 3. 0. GLOMERATA bb. Leaf-blades variable in texture, and, if densely reticulate, not con- spicuously so and not shining above. c. Leaf-blades conspicuously ferruginous- or subferruginous-tomen- tose beneath; venation conspicuously pubescent; inflorescence densely ferruginous- or subferruginous-tomentose ............................. 4. 0. PALMANA cc. Leaf-blades glabrous or glabrescent beneath, not conspicuously ferruginous- or subferruginous- or brownish-tomentose. d. Leaf-blades definitely obovate. e. Base of leaf-blades decurrent, sometimes very conspicuously so, and recurved ................................................. 5. 0. IRA ee. Base of leaf-blades never conspicuously decurrent or recurved.. 6. 0. WEDELIANA dd. Leaf-blades elliptic or oblong-elliptic or obla'nceolate. e. Leaf-blades membranaceous. f. Largest leaf-blades not more than 9.5 cm. broad; lateral nerves 6-9 pairs; petioles to 1 cm. long ................................ 6. 0. WEDELIANA ff. Largest'leaf-blades 10-13 cm. broad; lateral nerves 12-16 pairs; petioles to 1.5 cm. long ............................................... 7. 0. ATIRRENSIS ee. Leaf-blades not membranaceous. f. Leaf-blades coriaceous, brownish or castaneous, or greenish, not more than 6.5 cm. broad, reticulation of the upper surface prominulous .......................................... 8. 0. PAULII ff. Leaf-blades chartaceous, greenish to light brown, up to 10 cm. broad; upper ssurface very smooth ................................... 9. 0. DENDRODAPHNE aa. Largest leaf-blades not more than 17 cm. long. b. Leaf-blades variable, usually not obovate, but elliptic, lanceolate- elliptic or oblong, or variations of these shapes, acute or rounded, always chartaceous; margin always finely undulate, appearing crisped on drying; petioles usually blackish; bark grayish; bases not decur- rent or recurved .................................................-10. 0. VERAGUENSIS bb. Leaf-blades not- obovate (except sometimes in 0. Austinii); margin not consistently finely undulate. c. Leaf-blades definitely oblong or oblong-elliptic, rigidly coriaceous; inflorescence to 25 cm. long. d. Leaf-blades not more than 11 cm. long, densely ferruginous- sericeous beneath; bases decurrent and strongly recurved; in- florescence not more than 8 cm. long ............................................. 0. AUSTNII dd. Leaf-blades not less than 12 cm. long, glabrous throughout; bases not decurrent or recurved; inflorescence to 25 cm. long.... 8. 0. PAULII cc. Leaf-blades not oblong, or if oblong-elliptic, definitely not rigidly coriaceous; inflorescence not more than 15 cm. long. d. Leaf-blades coriaceous or subcoriaceous, occasionally charta- ceous, the largest usually not less than 6 cm., rarely 5 cm. broad. e. Leaf-blades 12-21 cm. long; lateral nerves 6-9 pairs; flowers perfect - 2. 0. SEIBERTII ee. Leaf-blades not more than 16 cm. long; lateral nerves 4-6 pairs; flowers dioecious. f. Apex of leaf-blades caudate-acuminate; venation rather obscure; reticulation obscure above .. - . . 14. 0. CERNUA ff. Apex of leaf-blades not caudate-acuminate; venation con- spicuous and yellowish; reticulation somewhat prominent above .-............. 12. 0. RUBRINERVIS dd. Leaf-blades membranaceous, the largest not more than 4.5 cm. broad-........... 13. 0. SUBSERICEA
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