Ocotea ivohibensis van der Werff 2013, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Werff, Henk Van Der
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Laurales
Lauraceae
Ocotea
Ocotea ivohibensis

description: 18. <i>Ocotea ivohibensis</i> van der Werff, sp. nov. (Figs 8, 9) Ocoteae trichanthae <i>similis, sed floribus sparse pubescentibus, foliis acuminatis, domatiis trichomatibus rubris ornatis recedit.</i> TYPUS. — <b>Madagascar</b>. Fianarantsoa, Ivohibe, Réserve spéciale d’Ivohibe, 22°29.8’S, 46°57.3’E, 1600 m, 25.X.1997, fl., <i>Messmer et al. 506</i> (holo-, P [P00648795]!; iso-, G, MO [2299151]). PARATYPES. — <b>Madagascar</b>. Pic d’Ivohibe, 1500-2000 m, 5-11.XI.1924, fl., <i>Humbert 3332</i> (MO, P [P01991805], TAN); Toliara. Betroka, Ivahona, Réserve spéciale de Kalambatritra, <i>Andrianjafy et al. 594</i> (MO, P, TAN); Fianarantsoa. Iakora, Begogo, Bekora, forêt de Sahalava, <i>Andrianjafy et al. 770</i> (MO, P, TAN). DISTRIBUTION. — <i>Ocotea ivohibensis</i> sp. nov. is known from few collections from the Ivohibe massif and the special reserve Kalambatritra in south-central Madagascar between 1200 and 1600 m altitude. PHENOLOGY. — Flowers: October-November; fruits: June, August. VERNACULAR NAMES. — Antafonana, Valotra, Varongi mainty. DESCRIPTION Tree, 12 m. Twigs terete, moderately to densely pubescent, the hairs short, erect, becoming glabrous with age. Terminal buds densely pubescent, the surface not visible. Leaves alternate, 4-10 × 2-6 cm, chartaceous, the upper surface sparsely pubescent or glabrous, lower surface moderately pubescent, the hairs erect, curly, denser along the major veins or glabrous except for some hairs along the major veins; the base acute to obtuse, the apex acute to acuminate, acumen to 1 cm long; gland dots not visible on the leaves; lateral veins 2 to 5 pairs, impressed on the upper surface, raised on the lower surface, tertiary venation raised on the lower surface, immersed or impressed on the upper surface; domatia present in the axils of the basal 2-3 pairs of lateral veins, consisting of a depression largely covered by reddish hairs, the domatia visible as bumps on the upper surface. Petioles 4-7 mm long, flat above, with a similar indument as the twigs. Inflorescences slender, 2-6 cm long, racemose or with 1 or 2 cymes basally, few-flowered, moderately to sparsely pubescent, the hairs ascending to erect, in the axils of leaves or in the axils of deciduous bracts near the tips of the branches.Flowers greenish yellow, 3-4 mm in diameter, the tepals half-erect, spreading in old flowers. Tepals 6, equal, sparsely pubescent outside, pubescent inside, 2 mm long; stamens 9, all 4-celled, <i>c.</i> 1 mm long, glabrous; staminodia stipitiform, pubescent; two globose glands present at the base of the inner 3 stamens; pistil 1.5 mm long, glabrous; receptacle deeply cup-shaped, glabrous inside. Fruit 1.3 cm wide, 1 cm high; cupule 1.6 cm in diameter, 6 mm high. REMARKS <i>Ocotea ivohibensis</i> sp. nov. has been confused with <i>O. trichantha</i> Baker from which it differs as follows: <i>Ocotea ivohibensis</i> sp. nov. has sparsely pubescent flowers (densely pubescent in <i>O. trichantha</i>), domatia covered with reddish hairs (white hairs in <i>O. trichantha</i>), and the major veins slightly impressed on the upper leaf surface (immersed in <i>O. trichantha</i>). In the older collection made by Humbert the hairs covering the domatia have largely fallen off; leaf shape, venation and the sparse indument on the flowers allow identification as <i>O. ivohibensis</i> sp. nov. The indument on the lower leaf surface of <i>O. ivohibensis</i> sp. nov. is variable. Some specimens have a sparse indument of erect hairs on the lamina, others have only some hairs along the major veins or are glabrous with the exception of the domatia.
description: Published as part of <i>Werff, Henk Van Der, 2013, A revision of the genus Ocotea Aubl. (Lauraceae) in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, pp. 235-279 in Adansonia (3) (3) 35 (2)</i> on pages 256-257, DOI: 10.5252/a2013n2a5, http://zenodo.org/record/5206484