Ocotea corethroides Kosterm.

6. Ocotea corethroides Kosterm.

(Fig. 3)

Communication (Pengumuman) of the Forest Research Institute, Indonesia 60: 9 (1957).

TYPUS. — Madagascar. Ivongo, 27.XII.1949, fls, Service Forestier 2429 (holo-, P [P00541606]!).

SELECTED SPECIMENS SEEN. — Toamasina, Tamatave, Mangabe, Réserve Naturelle 3, Réserves Naturelles 4472 (MO, P[P01991958], TAN); Tamatave, Ambodiriana, Réserves Naturelles 5918 (MO, P[P01991959]).

DISTRIBUTION. — This species occurs in forests on the eastern slope from Ivongo to Marojejy; between 100- 600 m elevation.

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers: November-December, fruits: March, June, September, October.

VERNACULAR NAMES. — Varongy, varongy fotsy, antafonona, varongy mainty, tafoho.

DESCRIPTION

Tree, to 20 m. Twigs angular, minutely tomentellous when young, becoming glabrous with age; terminal buds tomentellous. Leaves (sub)opposite, firmly chartaceous, 10-20 × 3-7 cm, elliptic or ovate-elliptic, base and tip acute, lateral veins 5-8 on each side; upper leaf surface glabrous, midrib and lateral veins immersed, tertiary reticulation slightly raised; lower leaf surface with some appressed or erect pubescence, especially along midrib, or nearly glabrous, midrib, lateral veins and reticulation raised, domatia present, consisting of shallow to deep pockets, when deep often with a slit-like opening, domatia glabrous or with a fringe of short, pale hairs. Petioles with same indument as twigs, 1.4-2.0 cm long. Inflorescences axillary, paniculate, 5-10 cm long, tomentellous.Tepals densely pubescent on both surfaces, 2-3 mm long. Stamens 9, 4-celled, c. 2 mm long, filaments pubescent, anthers ± glabrous, staminodia 3, minute, stipitiform, pubescent. Ovary pubescent, receptacle pubescent inside. Cupule deeply cup-shaped, 2-3 cm wide, fruit 2.4 × 2 cm, pedicel thickened.

REMARKS

Ocotea corethroides can be and has been confused with O. humblotii. However, the latter species has alternate leaves and is restricted to the area N of the Baie d’Antongil. There are two collections of O. corethroides from such a northern locality, but these specimens have clearly opposite leaves. The specimens previously identified as O. humblotii differ slightly from typical O. corethroides in having wider leaves, longer tepals and more pubescence on the leaves. Geographically, the two forms overlap and based on the available material I don’t think it is warranted to recognize two taxa. I include in O. corethroides the collection Service Forestier (Capuron) 9125, cited by Kostermans as paratype of O. capuronii Kosterm. (synonym of O. thouvenotii (Danguy) Kosterm.); its indument fits O. corethroides better.