Revisional study of neotropical Beilschmiedia species (Lauraceae ...

Leaves opposite, rarely subopposite; petioles 0.6-1.5 (2.2) em long, flat or canaliculate
above, glabrous, slightly discolored or rarely concolorous with twigs; blades coriaceous,
elliptic, (6) 9-20 x (2.5) 4-6.5 (8.5) em; base cuneate to obtuse, not inrolled, apex acute or
rarely cuspidate; leaf surface glabrous on both sides, lower leaf surface not glaucous; midrib
immersed above, raised below, secondary veins 8-13 ( 16) pairs, slightly raised on both
sides, tertiary veins not percurrent, ramification coarse, square-like with free veinlets, almost
immersed above, slightly raised or almost immersed below. Inflorescences axillary, very
rarely clustered on a leafless short shoot in the axils of leaves, paniculate with few branches,
3-7 (12.5) em long, sparsely pubescent with erect hairs, with 20-30 (50) flowers per
inflorescence; flower pedicels of the lateral divisions 1-3 mm long, pedicels of the central
flowers up to 5 mm long. Flowers yellow to white, ca. 2 mm long, ca. 2.5 in diam.; tepals
6, equal, ovate to elliptic, 1.5-2 mm long, 1.2-1. 7 mm wide, sparsely pubescent with more
or less appressed hairs outside, almost glabrous inside; stamens 9, outer six filaments 0.3-
0.4 mm long, innermost three filaments 0.4-0.6 mm long, filaments pubescent, anthers 0.8-
1 mm long, all the anthers 2-celled, apex of the anthers obtuse to truncate, apex of the
anthers pubescent, glands of itmermost three stan1ens globose; staminodia 3, cordate in
outline, ca. 0.6 n1m long; pistil ca. 1 mm long, glabrous, ovary longer than and gradually
narrowed into the style; receptacle pubescent with appressed hairs or glabrous. Fruits
ellipsoid, black, 3-5 x 2-4 em, the surface smooth or rarely slightly warty; infructescence
axis ca. 2.5 mm in diam., fruit pedicels thickened to 4-5 mm in diam. below the fruit, fruit
pedicels not constricted, covered with lenticels and concolorous with the infructescence axis.
Phenology: collected in flower in February, from April to July, and from September to
November, in mature fruit in February and July.
Distribution: western Venezuela, Guyana, (Jamaica?), 10-600 n1 alt. (Fig. 9).
Habitat: unknown.
Common name: "Aguacatillo moises" in Venezuela.
Economic use: unknown.
Additional specimens examined: Venezuela. Bolivar: Cloud forest on summit of southeast-facing
escarpment, E of Cerro El Picacho, N of Las Nieves and Las Chicharras, 45kms. N. of Tumeremo, vincity of
Deborah, Nuria Plateau, vicinity of lake-like area, 600-650 malt., Feb. 5-8,1961 (fl. & fr.), Steyermark89161
(F, NY). Delta Amacuro: E of Rio Grande, EN of El Palmar, near the border of Estado Bolivar, Aug. 19-Sept.
7, 1964 (immature fr. or sterile), Marcano 387 (F, MO (2 sheets), NY), (sterile), Marcano 404 (MO); same
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