''Mezilaurus'' is a genus of plant in the family

Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016 ). They are dicotyledons, and occur ma ...

. It is a neotropical genus consisting of 18-27 species, mostly hardwood evergreen trees, occurring from Costa Rica to the southeast of Brazil (Werff 1987). Thirteen species have been identified in Brazil, distributed mostly in the Amazon region. In Rio de Janeiro state only ''M. navalium'' (Allemão) 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'' (half laurel) refers to its similar appearance to the genus '' Laurus''. The genus was described by

Otto Kuntze Carl Ernst Otto Kuntze (23 June 1843 – 27 January 1907) was a German botanist. Biography Otto Kuntze was born in Leipzig. An apothecary in his early career, he published an essay entitled ''Pocket Fauna of Leipzig''. Between 1863 and 1866 he ...

ex Paul Hermann Wilhelm Taubert and published in ''Centralblatt Botanischer 50: 21'' in 1892. The type species is ''

Mezilaurus navalium ''Mezilaurus navalium'' is a species of plant in the family Lauraceae. It is endemic to Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin Am ...

'' ( Allemão) Taub. Ex Mez. This genus is closely related to '' Licaria'' and ''

Aiouea ''Aiouea'' is a genus of shrubs and trees in the family Lauraceae. It is native to tropical forests and montane forests of North and South America. The name is a curiosity because it consists entirely of vowels. Taxonomy The following species ar ...

''. ''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 narrow at the top. Uncompressed below the tepals, 6 tepals are usually erect and equal, with the inner surface without papillae. There are three fertile stamens. Stamens of the third whorl are fertile. The fruit is black, sometimes domed. 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.

Accepted species

23 species are accepted: *'' Mezilaurus caatingae'' *'' Mezilaurus campaucola'' van der Werff *'' Mezilaurus crassiramea'' ( Meisn.) Taub. ex Mez *'' Mezilaurus decurrens'' ( Ducke) Kosterm. *'' Mezilaurus duckei'' van der Werff *'' Mezilaurus glabriantha'' F.M.Alves & V.C.Souza *'' Mezilaurus introrsa'' F.M.Alves & van der Werff *'' Mezilaurus ita-uba'' (Meissner) Taubert ex Mez *'' Mezilaurus lindaviana'' Schwacke & Mez *''

Mezilaurus manausensis ''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 (Werff 1987). Thirteen species have been id ...

'' van der Werff *'' Mezilaurus micrantha'' van der Werff *''

Mezilaurus microphylla ''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 (Werff 1987). Thirteen species have been id ...

'' F.M.Alves & V.C.Souza *''

'' ( Fr. Allem.) Taub. *''

Mezilaurus opaca ''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 (Werff 1987). Thirteen species have been id ...

'' Kubitzki & van der Werff *''

Mezilaurus palcazuensis ''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 (Werff 1987). Thirteen species have been id ...

'' van der Werff *''

Mezilaurus pyriflora ''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 (Werff 1987). Thirteen species have been id ...

'' van der Werff *'' Mezilaurus revolutifolia'' F.M.Alves & P.L.R.Moraes *'' Mezilaurus sessiliflora'' P.L.R.Moraes & M.C.Vergne *'' Mezilaurus sprucei'' (Meisn.) Taub. ex Mez *'' Mezilaurus subcordata'' (Ducke) Kosterm. *'' Mezilaurus synandra'' (Mez) Kosterm. *'' Mezilaurus triunca'' van der Werff *'' Mezilaurus vanderwerffii'' F.M.Alves & Baitello

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6826671 Lauraceae genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Neotropical realm flora Lauraceae