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Ocotea

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Ocotea
O. foetenson the highlands of Madeira Island
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Laurales
Family: Lauraceae
Genus: Ocotea
Aubl.
Species

Over 520, seeList ofOcoteaspecies

Synonyms[1]
  • AgathophyllumJuss.
  • EvodiaGaertn.
  • MespilodaphneNees
  • OreodaphneNees & Mart.

Ocoteais a genus offlowering plantsbelonging to the familyLauraceae.Many are evergreen trees withlauroidleaves.

There are over 520 species currently accepted within the genus,[2]distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical areas of the Americas (around 300 species)[3]including the Caribbean and West Indies,[4][5]but also with some species in Africa,Madagascar[3]and theMascarene Islands.[6]One species (O. foetens) is native to theMacaronesia(inCanary IslandsandMadeira).[7]The genus is suspected to beparaphyletic.[8]

Description

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O. teneraleaves and fruit

They are trees or shrubs, occasionally withadventitious roots(O. hartshorniana,O. insularis). Leaves simple, alternate, rarely opposite or whorled.[9]The leaves arelauroid,they are commonly dark green glossy with sometimes brown on the underside and fragrant oil cells.[10]

The African and Madagascan species all havebisexual flowers(possessing both male and female parts), whereas many of the American species have flowers that areunisexual(either male or female).[3] The apetalous flowers are in small panicles.[citation needed]

The fruits are globose or oblong berries, 3–5 cm in length, hard and fleshy and at the junction of the peduncle part with the fruit covered by a cup-shaped, occasionally flat,cupule,[11]giving them an appearance similar to anacorn.The fruit is dark green, gradually darkening with maturity. The cupule at the base of the berry, can be more brightly colored. The fruit has a single seed wrapped in a hard coat and can be slightly lignified.[citation needed]

Names

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The genus has no standard common name. Names often refer to the aroma of the wood, which can be strong and not always pleasant.Sweetwoodis usually applied only to this genus,[12]although many names are also applied to this genus and other genera:

The common names of some species refer to their similarity to otherLauraceaesuch asSassafras(Brazilian sassafras:O. odorifera) orLaurus(Cape laurel:O. bullata,Sword laurel:O. floribunda,Guaika laurel:O. puberula,etc.).

Distribution and habitat

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Ocotea bullataon South AfricanAfromontane forests

Most species ofOcoteaare distributed across the tropicalAmericas,from Mexico to Northern Argentina including the West Indies. Species are also found in eastern Africa fromSouth AfricatoEthiopia,inGabonandRepublic of the Congoin Central Africa, and onMadagascarand theMascarene Islands.One species,Ocotea foetens,is native to theCanary IslandsandMadeirain the North Atlantic.[13]

Ocoteaspecies are distributed in subtropical and tropical regions, often at higher elevations. They are characteristic plants of many tropical and subtropical montane forests such as theAraucaria moist forests,Yungas,andTalamancan montane forestsin the Americas,Afromontaneforests including theKnysna-Amatole montane forestsin Africa, andLaurisilvain theMacaronesianislands. In Madagascar andBrazilthey also occur in lowland forests.[14]

Ecology

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Most relatively small fruit species are of great environmental importance because they are the food of many endemic birds and mammals, especially in Islands, and premontane and montane forests.[9]The leaves ofOcoteaspecies are the food source for thecaterpillarsof several species of endemicLepidoptera,including several species ofMemphis.[15]SomeMemphiscaterpillars feed solely on the leaves of one species ofOcotea;for exampleM. morafeeds only onO. cernua,andM. boisduvalifeeds only onO. veraguensis[15]

Seed distribution of someOcoteaspecies is performed byfrugivorousbirds such astoucans,thethree-wattled bellbird(family Cotingidae),quetzal[16]andCape parrot.[17]Ocoteafruit is also consumed by severalColumbiformessuch asColumba trocaz,[18]Delegorgue's pigeon,[17]Bolle's pigeon (Columba bollii),[19]African wood pigeon,[20][21][22]and American doves.[23]

Most of the African tree species are ancientpaleoendemicspecies,[24]which in ancient times were widely distributed on the continent.[19][24]This is not the case in the Americas: 89 species have been collected in Venezuela alone.[25]

Species ofOcoteacan be attacked by various rot-inducing root pathogens, includingLoweporus inflexibilis,Phellinus apiahynus[26]andPhytophthora cinnamomi.[27]

SomeOcoteaspecies are used as nesting sites by ants, which may live in leaf pockets or in hollowed-out stems. The ants patrol their host plants more frequently in response to disturbance or to the appearance of insect pests such as grasshoppers.[28]

Uses

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Dried ishpingo (O. quixos)cupulescan be used as spice.

Ocoteaproduceessential oils,which are rich incamphorandsafrole.East African camphorwood (O. usambarensis), Peruvian rosewood (O. cernua) and Brazilian sassafras (O. odorifera) are traded internationally.

Dried fruitcupulesof ishpingo (O. quixos) are used in Ecuador to flavor beverages, such ascolada morada.

Some fast growingOcoteatree species are harvested commercially fortimber.These includeO. puberula,O. bullata(black or true stinkwood) andO. usambarensis.The timber is valued for its resistance to fungal decay.

O. odorifera(Brazilian sassafras) andO. kuhlmanniare frequently used ashoney plants.

Selected species

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Main article:List ofOcoteaspecies

The following are some of the species ofOcotea.[29]DistinguishingOcoteaspecies fromNectandraand other close relatives is problematic.Povedadaphnemay be better placed inOcotea.[citation needed]

Formerly placed here

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Fossil record

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†Ocotea hradekensisfrom the earlyMiocene,has been described from fragmentaryfossilleaf compressions that have been found in the Kristina Mine atHrádek nad NisouinNorth Bohemia,theCzech Republic.O. foetensfrom theCanary Islandsis its nearest living relative.[30]Fossil†Ocotea heeriileaf impressions ofMessinianage (ca. 5.7 Ma) have been uncovered in Monte Tondo, northernApennines,Italy.[31]

References

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  1. ^"Tropicos.org".
  2. ^"OcoteaAubl ".Plants of the World Online.Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2021.RetrievedSeptember 6,2021.
  3. ^abcHenk van der Werff (1996). "Ocotea ikonyokpe,a new species of Lauraceae from Cameroon ".Novon.6(4): 460–462.doi:10.2307/3392056.JSTOR3392056.
  4. ^"ITIS, Integrated Taxonomic Information System".
  5. ^Alain H. Liogier; Luis F. Martorell (2000).Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands: a Systematic Synopsis.La Editorial, UPR.ISBN9780847703692.
  6. ^Kostermans, Achmad Jahja (GH); Marais, W. (1979).Ocotea(Lauraceae) in the Mascarene Islands.H.M. Stationery Office.RetrievedMay 19,2012.
  7. ^da Silva Menezes de Sequeira, M.P.; Beech, E. (2017)."Ocotea foetens".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2017:e.T30328A81868200.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T30328A81868200.en.RetrievedNovember 11,2021.
  8. ^Penagos Zuluaga, Juan C.; Werff, Henk; Park, Brian; Eaton, Deren A. R.; Comita, Liza S.; Queenborough, Simon A.; Donoghue, Michael J. (2021)."Resolved phylogenetic relationships in theOcoteacomplex (Supraocotea) facilitate phylogenetic classification and studies of character evolution ".American Journal of Botany.108(4): 664–679.doi:10.1002/ajb2.1632.PMID33818757.S2CID233026796.
  9. ^abJosé González (2007)."Flora Digital De Palo Verde"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 24, 2015.RetrievedJune 14,2012.
  10. ^Andrés Castillo Q. (2010)."Manual dendrológico de las principales especies de interés comercial actual y potencial de la zona del Alto Huallaga"(in Spanish). Cámara Nacional Forestal.
  11. ^Henk van der Werff (2002)."A synopsis ofOcotea(Lauraceae) in Central America and Southern Mexico ".Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden.89(3): 429–451.doi:10.2307/3298602.JSTOR3298602.
  12. ^"Plants Profile:OcoteaAubl ".USDA.RetrievedApril 1,2008.
  13. ^"OcoteaAubl. "Plants of the World Online, Kew Science. Accessed 28 April 2022.[1]
  14. ^Rohwer, Jens (1986)."Prodromus einer Monographie der Gattung Ocotea Aubl. (Lauraceae), sensu lato".
  15. ^abDaniel H. Janzen."AboutMemphis mora".Ontario Genomics Institute. Archived fromthe originalon September 26, 2011.
  16. ^J. Phil Gibson & Nathaniel T. Wheelwright (1995)."Genetic structure in a population of a tropical treeOcotea tenera(Lauraceae): influence of avian seed dispersal "(PDF).Oecologia.103(1): 49–54.Bibcode:1995Oecol.103...49G.doi:10.1007/BF00328424.JSTOR4221000.PMID28306944.S2CID30945748.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 23, 2015.RetrievedMay 18,2012.
  17. ^ab"Ocotea bullata".PlantZAfrica. November 22, 2002.RetrievedMay 20,2012.
  18. ^Paulo Oliveira; Patricia Marrero & Manuel Nogales (2002)."Diet of the endemic Madeira laurel pigeon and fruit resource availability: a study using microhistological analyses".The Condor.104(4): 811–822.doi:10.1650/0010-5422(2002)104[0811:doteml]2.0.co;2.hdl:10261/22475.JSTOR1370703.S2CID55469944.
  19. ^ab"MANAGEMENT of Natura 2000 habitats * Macaronesian laurel forests (Laurus,Ocotea) 9360: Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora "(PDF).
  20. ^David Gibbs (2010).Pigeons and Doves: a Guide to the Pigeons and Doves of the World.A&C Black.ISBN9781408135563.RetrievedMay 20,2012.
  21. ^"Biodiversity Explorer: The web of life in southern Africa".Columba arquatrix(African olive-pigeon, Rameron pigeon). Biodiversityexplorer.org. Archived fromthe originalon January 15, 2012.RetrievedMay 20,2012.
  22. ^Steven T. Mwihomeke; Innocent J.E. Zilihona; William C. Hamisy; Dismas Mwaseba (n.d.)."Assessment Of Forest User Groups And Their Relationship To The Condition Of The Natural Forests In The Uluguru Mountains"(PDF).Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (WCST). Archived fromthe original(PDF)on February 27, 2012.RetrievedMay 19,2012.
  23. ^Mahabir P. Gupta (2006)."Medicinal Plants Originating In The Andean High Plateau And Central Valleys Region Of Bolivia, Ecuador And Peru"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on September 10, 2016.RetrievedMay 19,2012.
  24. ^abBen H. Warren & Julie A. Hawkins (2006)."The distribution of species diversity across a flora's component lineages: dating the Cape's 'relicts'".Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.273(1598): 2149–2158.doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.3560.PMC1635518.PMID16901834.
  25. ^Hernán E. Ferrer-Pereira (2009)."Lauraceae at the Herbario Nacional de Venezuela (VEN)"(PDF).Herbario Nacional de Venezuela.
  26. ^P. Renvall & T. Niemelä (1993). "Ocotea usambarensisand its fungal decayers in natural stands ".Bulletin du Jardin Botanique National de Belgique.62(1/4): 403–414.doi:10.2307/3668286.JSTOR3668286.
  27. ^W. A. Lübbe & G. P. Mostert (1991). "Rate ofOcotea bullatadecline in association withPhytophtora cinnamomiat three study sites in the Southern Cape indigenous forests ".South African Forestry Journal.159(1): 17–24.Bibcode:1991SAfFJ.159...17L.doi:10.1080/00382167.1991.9630390.
  28. ^Jean Stout (1979). "An association of an ant, a mealy bug, and an understory tree from a Costa Rican rain forest".Biotropica.11(4): 309–311.Bibcode:1979Biotr..11..309S.doi:10.2307/2387924.JSTOR2387924.
  29. ^"OcoteaAubl ".Germplasm Resources Information Network.Agricultural Research Service,United States Department of Agriculture.RetrievedFebruary 19,2010.
  30. ^A review of the early Miocene Mastixioid flora of the Kristina Mine at Hrádek nad Nisou in North Bohemia, The Czech Republic, January 2012 by F. Holý, Z. Kvaček and Vasilis Teodoridis - ACTA MUSEI NATIONALIS PRAGAE Series B – Historia Naturalis • vol. 68 • 2012 • no. 3–4 • pp. 53–118
  31. ^Palaeoenvironmental analysis of the Messinian macrofossil floras of Tossignano and Monte Tondo (Vena del Gesso Basin, Romagna Apennines, northern Italy) - Vasilis Teodoridis, Zlatko Kvacek, Marco Sami and Edoardo Martinetto - December 2015 DOI: 10.14446/AMNP.2015.249.
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