Aspidostemon Rohwer & H.G. Richt.

Werff, Henk van der, 2017, The genera of Lauraceae in Madagascar with nomenclatural novelties in Cryptocarya, Candollea 72 (2), pp. 323-328 : 325

Aspidostemon Rohwer & H.G. Richt.

Typus: Aspidostemon perrieri (Danguy) Rohwer

Diagnostic characters. – Opposite leaves, trimerous flowers with 3 or 6 two-locular stamens, staminodia of whorl III enlarged and conspicuous. Fruits enclosed in receptacle with scars of fallen tepals on top.

Distribution. – Endemic to Madagascar.

Number of species. – 28.

Recent literature. – ROHWER & RICHTER (1987), VAN DER WERFF (2006).

Notes. – Aspidostemon can be recognized in the field by its opposite leaves frequently with acuminate tips and inconspicuous, immersed or slightly raised venation. The bark of Aspidostemon is distinctive and has been referred to as platanoid ( VAN DER WERFF, 2006), it was described by René Capuron on the labels of several of his collections “rhytidome caduc par plaques [exfoliating in large plates]”. Opposite leaves occur also in a few species of Beilschmiedia and Ocotea ; see the discussion under those genera. Sterile specimens cannot be identified with confidence except for one or two vegetatively distinct species.