Revisional study of neotropical Beilschmiedia species (Lauraceae ...

has relatively stnall and narrow leaves (5-12 x 2-5 ctn), but it can have n1uch larger and
wider leaves (up to 16 x 9 em) in some islands like Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico.
Leaves of some species are glaucous on lower surface, appearing whitish. Species
known with glaucous leaves are B. alloiophylla, B. anay, B. berteroana, B. immersinervis,
B. latifolia, B. miersii, B. obovatifolia, B. ovalioides, B. oval is and B. pendula. This
character is usually consistent within a species, but sometimes exceptional cases occur, e.g.,
a few collections of B. pendula have non-glaucous leaves, and a few collections of B.
mexicana and B. riparia have glaucous leaves although typical collections of these two
species do not. The specimens once placed in alcohol n1ay lose the glaucous color. Some
Brazilian species, B. angustifolia, B. emarginata, B. rig ida and B. stricta are not known
whether they have glaucous leaves or not because all the collections exmnined were likely
placed in alcohol.
Venation. Venation patterns, especially ramification types, are important characters to delimit
neotropical Beilschmiedia species. TI1e venation patterns were X-rayed and discussed with
other leaf anatomical characters in the third chapter of this study. See the chapter for details.
Domatia. TI1ere are no Beilschmiedia species reported to have domatia. But in B. riparia
there are a few collections which have denser pubescence in axils of the secondary veins,
appearing to have domatia. See the notes under B. riparia for details.
lndument. Pubescence type is an important character to delimitate the species, but one
should keep in mind that it sometin1es shows a certain variation within a species.
As shown in Fig. 1, Indun1ent of neotropical Beilschmiedia species can be divided into
three types in orientation (appressed, spreading, erect), and in straightness (straight, wavy,
curly). Appressed indun1ent (Fig. 1 A) is always straight and spreading indument (Fig. 1 B)
is also usually aln1ost straight, but erect indument can be straight (Fig. 1 C), wavy (Fig. 1
D), or curly (Fig. 1 E). I have classified minutely tmnentelose pubescence with short curly
hairs (Fig. 1 E) as erect, because orientation of the hairs is not appressed but erect at the
base. Appressed indmnent is strictly appressed on the plant surface, appearing to be
somewhat silky and shiny. Spreading indument rare! y occurs in B. berteroana, B. brenesii,
B. costaricensis and B. hondurensis, all of which usually have appressed indument.
6