''Endlicheria'' is a neotropical plant genus consisting of approximately 60 species, occurring mostly in northern South America and the Amazon region. Most species are medium-sized trees, sometime up to 40 metres in height, but a few species are shrubs. DNA molecular data shows that it is closely related to '' Rhodostemonodaphne'' and ''

Ocotea ''Ocotea'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Lauraceae. Many are evergreen trees with lauroid leaves. There are over 520 species currently accepted within the genus, distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical areas of t ...

''. This genus has many species of high commercial value to the wood industry. ''Endlicheria'' species occur mostly in the drainage area of the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...

from

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, and low coast rainforest and mountain tropical forest in the Greater Antilles, Guianas, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, to the south of Brazil, and in the Andean

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud c ...

in tropical America. The species of ''Endlicheria'' occur in moist forest habitats from elevations of around sea level to 2.500 meters in the Andean and Guianian highlands. At least two species are present in mountain cloud forest and Atlantic forest of south east Brazil, and two other species in Caribbean Lesser Antilles mountain cloud forest.

Taxonomy

Traditionally, ''Endlicheria'' was placed near ''

Aniba ''Aniba'' is an American neotropical flowering plant genus in the family Lauraceae. They are present in low and mountain cloud forest in Caribbean islands, Central America, and northern to central South America. Description They are shrubs o ...

'' and the other Lauraceae with two locellate anthers. However, it has been suggested that the two-locellate anthers that distinguish ''Endlicheria'' from ''Rhodostemonodaphne'' evolved repeatedly. The two genera form a group of approximately 100 known species.

Characteristics

Leaves congested at the apex of the branches, flowers in panicles with racemose endings. The plants are

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

, i.e., male and female flowers appear on different trees.

Selected species

*'' Endlicheria acuminata'' Kosterm. *'' Endlicheria anomala'' (

Nees Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck (14 February 1776 – 16 March 1858) was a prolific German botanist, physician, zoologist, and natural philosopher. He was a contemporary of Goethe and was born within the lifetime of Linnaeus. He des ...

) Mez *'' Endlicheria arachnocome'' Chanderb. *'' Endlicheria arenosa'' Chanderb. *''

Endlicheria argentea ''Endlicheria'' is a neotropical plant genus consisting of approximately 60 species, occurring mostly in northern South America and the Amazon region. Most species are medium-sized trees, sometime up to 40 metres in height, but a few species are ...

'' Chanderb. *'' Endlicheria bracteata'' Mez *'' Endlicheria bracteolata'' (Meisn.) C.K.Allen *'' Endlicheria browniana'' (Meisn.) Mez *'' Endlicheria chalisea'' Chanderb. *'' Endlicheria citriodora'' *'' Endlicheria chrysovelutina'' Chanderb. *'' Endlicheria cocuirey'' Kosterm. *'' Endlicheria columbiana'' (Meissner) Mez *'' Endlicheria gracilis'' Kosterm. *''

Endlicheria griseosericea ''Endlicheria'' is a neotropical plant genus consisting of approximately 60 species, occurring mostly in northern South America and the Amazon region. Most species are medium-sized trees, sometime up to 40 metres in height, but a few species are ...

'' Chanderb. *''

Endlicheria klugii ''Endlicheria'' is a neotropical plant genus consisting of approximately 60 species, occurring mostly in northern South America and the Amazon region. Most species are medium-sized trees, sometime up to 40 metres in height, but a few species are ...

'' O.C.Schmidt *''

Endlicheria krukovii ''Endlicheria'' is a neotropical plant genus consisting of approximately 60 species, occurring mostly in northern South America and the Amazon region. Most species are medium-sized trees, sometime up to 40 metres in height, but a few species are ...

'' (A.C.Sm.) Kosterm. *''

Endlicheria robusta ''Endlicheria'' is a neotropical plant genus consisting of approximately 60 species, occurring mostly in northern South America and the Amazon region. Most species are medium-sized trees, sometime up to 40 metres in height, but a few species are ...

'' (A.C.Sm.) Kosterm. *''

Endlicheria tschudyana ''Endlicheria'' is a neotropical plant genus consisting of approximately 60 species, occurring mostly in northern South America and the Amazon region. Most species are medium-sized trees, sometime up to 40 metres in height, but a few species are ...

'' (Lasser) Kosterm. *'' Endlicheria verticillata'' Mez *'' Endlicheria vinotincta'' C.K.Allen *'' Endlicheria williamsii'' O.C.Schmidt *'' Endlicheria xerampela'' Chanderb.

References

External links

* http://lauraceae.myspecies.info/category/lauraceae/lauraceae/endlicheria
''Endlicheria'' in Bolivia checklist
Dioecious plants {{Laurales-stub