Lauraceae

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Avocado Family

Ocotea hartshorniana Hammel, a tree in the Lauraceae. Note the variable leaf size, and irregular arrangement of leaves around the stem and veins within the leaf. The strong odor is another good Lauraceae character. Un árbol. Note el tamaño variable de las hojas, y la distribución irregular de las hojas en el tallo y las venas dentro de las hojas. El olor fuerte es otra característica llamativa de las Lauraceas.

Description: A family of trees and shrubs with simple, alternate leaves and no stipules. Unlike Annonaceae and Myristicaceae, the Lauraceae have irregularly spiraled leaves (not distichous). The venation of the leaves is also less regular than in other Magnoliid families. The Lauraceae odor is particularly strong and often a little bit smoky. It can range from sweet to rank and fishy. The bark is weak, unlike Annonaceae.

Many Lauraceae fruits are dispersed by large birds, especially toucans and guans. The fruits are often oily rather than sweet— think of an avocado.

Economic uses: The avocado (Persea americana), bay leaves (Laurus bougustia, Laurus nobilis), and cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylandicum) belong to this family.

Descripción: Una familia de árboles y arbustos con hojas simples, alternas, y sin estípulas. A diferencia de las Annonaceas y las Myristicaceas, las Lauraceas no tienen hojas en posición dística. Sus hojas estan distribuidas irregularmente en espiral. El patrón de las venas es menos regular que en las demás familias de Magnoliides. El olor de Lauraceas es muy fuerte y a veces huele un poco a humo. Puede ser dulce, a canela, o fétido, similar a pescado podrido.

Pájaros de gran tamaño, especialmente tucanes y pavones, dispersan las semillas de las Lauraceas. Los frutos, por lo general, son aceitosas, no dulces — como el aguacate.

Usos económicos: El aguacate (Persea americana), el laurel (Laurus bougustia, Laurus nobilis), y la canela (Cinnamomum zeylandicum) pertenecen a esta familia.

Genera/species at La Selva: 7/33 (all trees/ todos árboles): Bielschmedia (2), Cinnamomum (1), Licaria (3), Nectandra (7), Ocotea (17), Persea (2), Rhodostemonodaphne (1)

FIELD MARKS – alternate or spiral, simple generic-looking leaves, wavy leaf margin, hook-shaped or twisting petiole, pointy buds, sulcate twigs (random flattening and twisting), rank odor (tar-like or like an unripe avocado, smell the petiole immediately after tearing from stem), fruit a single-seeded berry with cup-like receptacle (except in Persea).

Nectandra – note wavy leaf margins.	Roadside shrub (Nectandra) with fruits
Nectandra fruit showing red cup.	Nectandra has alternate spiral leaves of various sizes, giving it a rather disorganized look.
The veins of Nectandra resemble an aerial view of a series of highway exit ramps. Note the slightly wavy margin.	Ocotea showing pointy terminal bud and hook shaped petiole.
Ocotea showing pointy terminal bud and hook shaped petiole.

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