(Fig. 2)

Notulae systematicae 8: 91 (1939). — Typus: Madagascar. Forêt d’Analamazaotra, Ursch 65 (holo-, P [P00573378]!, iso-, MO!).

SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Toamasina. Ambotavy, Rakotomalaza 1253 (MO); Analamazaotra, Ursch 65 (MO, P[P00573378]).

DISTRIBUTION. — It is only known from the type collection made in Analamazaotra and a collection from Ambatovy between 800 and 1000 m.

PHENOLOGY. — Flowers: March.

DESCRIPTION

Tree, of unknown size. Twigs angular, densely brown tomentellous, on young twigs the surface not visible, the indument wearing off on older twigs; scars of fallen bracts conspicuous; terminal buds densely tomentellous. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, elliptic to broadly elliptic, 4-7 × 1.5-3.5 cm, base decurrent on the petiole, apex obtuse, margin inrolled, especially near the base, somewhat glaucous on lower surface; at maturity glabrous on both surfaces, but young leaves with some scattered hairs on lower leaf surface, especially along midvein; lateral veins 6-9; lateral veins and tertiary venation raised on both surfaces; domatia lacking. Petioles 5-8 mm long, brown-pubescent, becoming glabrous with age, shallowly canaliculate. Inflorescences in axils of leaves, rather densely brown-tomentellous, to 6 cm long. Flowers 5-7 mm in diameter, tepals 6, equal, spreading at anthesis, subglabrous on outside, pubescent inside, stamens 9, 4-celled, c. 1.5 mm long, the filaments pilose, inner 3 stamens with 2 globose glands near the base, staminodia stipitiform, the lower half-pubescent. Pistil glabrous, c. 2 mm long, ovary gradually narrowed into style, receptacle densely pubescent inside. Tepals deciduous in old flowers. Fruit unknown.

REMARKS

Ocotea rigidifolia is best recognized by its broadly elliptic leaves with inrolled margins, glaucous lower leaf surface and the brown-tomentellous young twigs. One of the two known collections is tentatively placed here; it has flat leaves and lacks a decurrent base, but it has the dense tomentellous indument and the inside of the receptacle is pubescent. It can be confused with Ocotea involuta, which differs in having narrower leaves with an inrolled, auriculate base and in having the receptacle nearly glabrous inside. The pubescent receptacle and the decurrent leaf base are characters shared with O. auriculiformis; the latter species differs in its longer, narrower leaves. Both O. rigidifolia and O. auriculiformis occur in the Perinet-Analamazaotra region. Kostermans (1957) cited three fruiting collection under O. rigidifolia, but these specimens lack revolute leaf margins and the base of the leaves is not decurrent on the petiole. I exclude these specimens from O. rigidifolia.