Mezilaurus


Mezilaurus is a genus of plant in the family Lauraceae. It is a neotropical genus consisting of 18-27 species, mostly hardwood evergreen trees, occurring from Costa Rica to the southeast of Brazil. 13 species have been identified in Brazil, distributed mostly in the Amazon region. In Rio de Janeiro state only M. navalium Taub. ex Mez has been recorded. Some species have been reported within the Cerrado and in semideciduous forest surrounding the Pantanal Matogrossense. The name Mezilaurus refers to its similar appearance to the genus Laurus.
The genus was described by Otto Kuntze ex Paul Hermann Wilhelm Taubert and published in Centralblatt Botanischer 50: 21 in 1892. The type species is Mezilaurus navalium Taub. Ex Mez.
This genus is closely related to Licaria and Aiouea.
Mezilaurus are monoecious trees or shrubs with leaves alternate, usually congested at the apex of the branches, without papillae on the abaxial epidermis. The inflorescences are panicles with racemose terminations. The flowers are bisexual, with a hypanthium that is narrows at the top, uncompressed below the tepals, 6 tepals are usually erect and equal, the inner surface without papillae. There are three fertile stamens. Stamens of the third whorl are fertile. The fruit is black, sometimes cupulated. The cupula when present with pateliforme summit, small in relation to the fruit, the tepals are deciduous.
The fruit is a berry-like drupe. Seed dispersal is mostly by birds, though monkeys, porcupines and squirrels have also been observed eating the fruits.
This genus has some species of high commercial value, with few or no chemical or biological studies.

Selected species

Species include: