Beilschmiedia sary Kosterm.

Werff, Henk van der, 2003, A synopsis of the genus Beilschmiedia (Lauraceae) in Madagascar, Adansonia (3) 25 (1), pp. 77-92 : 88-89

7. Beilschmiedia sary Kosterm.

Commun. Forest Res. Inst. 56: 6 (1957). — Type: Service Forestier (Capuron) 8758, Madagascar, piste Maroantsetra-Antalaha (holo-, P!) .

Large tree, to 25 m tall. Twigs glabrous, terete, the young ones smooth, black, older ones greycorky. Terminal buds glabrous or nearly so. Leaves subopposite, coriaceous, 8-12 × 3-5 cm, glabrous, elliptic or elliptic-obovate, tip obtuse or emarginate, base acute or cuneate, lateral veins weakly developed, 7-12 on each side, poorly differentiated from the tertiary venation; midrib immersed on upper surface, raised on lower surfaces; lateral veins and tertiary venation raised on both surfaces. Petioles glabrous, 6-10 mm long. Inflorescences axillary, glabrous, to 1.5 cm long, racemose, rarely paniculate, 5-7 flowered. Flowers glabrous, with a short funnel-shaped floral tube, the tepals erect to incurved, often with a glabrous bract at the base of the floral tube. Tepals 6, equal erect or incurved, ovate, c. 1.5 mm long. Stamens 6, representing the outer 2 whorls, pubescent, 2-celled, the filament very short, anther large with large locelli, c. 1 mm long; Whorl III represented by 3 stamens with rudimentary(?) locelli and 2 globose glands at the base; staminodia representing Whorl IV not seen. Receptacle broad, shallow, densely pubescent. Ovary globose, glabrous, well differentiated from the glabrous style. Fruit broadly ellipsoid, 3 × 2 cm, tepals and receptacle dehiscent in older flowers and leaving a circular scar at base of young fruit.

ECOLOGY. — Forest at low elevation (100- 500 m).

DISTRIBUTION. — Most collections are from the area around the Baie d'Antongil; one sterile collection provisionally placed here is from Andilanatoby, much further south. — Fig. 3.

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers in September; fruits in December.

Beilschmiedia sary is similar to B. opposita , but is larger and coarser, growing at lower elevation and with a noticeably raised reticulate venation on both leaf surfaces. The inflorescences are as small as in B. opposita ; the flowers of B. sary seem to lack staminodia representing Whorl IV, while the stamens of Whorl III are poorly developed and likely sterile. However, only one flowering specimen with few flowers is known. The tepals are deciduous in older flowers exactly as in B. opposita .

COMMON NAME. — Sary.

SPECIMENS STUDIED. — MADAGASCAR: Schatz & Modeste 3081, Masoala Peninsula, hills E. of Ambanizana, fr. (MO); Service Forestier (Capuron) 8758, piste Maroantsetra-Antalaha, fr. (P, TEF); Service Forestier 10935, Bemavo, Andilanatoby, Ambatondrazaka st. (P, TEF); Service Forestier (Capuron) 18231, environs de la Baie d’Antongil, fl. (P, TEF); van der Werff et al. 12800, Masoala Peninsula, c. 11 km S. of Ambanizana fl., fr. (MO).

Figures

Fig. 3. — Distribution of Beilschmiedia microphylla (*); B. moratii (✚); B. opposita (Δ); B. rugosa (•); B. sary ().