Litsea
Encycl. 3: 574. 1792, name conserved.
| Taxon | Illustrator ⠉ | |
|---|---|---|
 | Litsea aestivalis Calycanthus occidentalis Lindera melissifolia Calycanthus floridus var. floridus Lindera subcoriacea | John Myers John Myers John Myers John Myers John Myers |
Shrubs [or trees], deciduous [or evergreen]. Leaves alternate, not aromatic. Leaf-blade pinnately veined, rarely with 3 primary-veins, leathery; surfaces glabrous or variously pubescent; domatia absent. Inflorescences appearing with or before new leaves, axillary, pseudoumbels, subtended by decussate bracts. Flowers unisexual, staminate and pistillate on different plants; tepals deciduous, yellow, green, or white, equal, glabrous. Staminate flowers: stamens 9 (or 12); anthers 4-locular, 4-valved, introrse. Pistillate flowers: staminodes 9 (or 12); ovary globose. Drupe red, globose, seated in small, single-rimmed cupule.
Distribution
North America, Mexico, Central America, mostly in Asia
Discussion
Species ca. 400 (1 in the flora).
Mexico has four species of Litsea, one of which extends to Costa Rica in Central America. Litsea merits revision and, as accepted here, it is probably polyphyletic. It is very similar to Lindera and best recognized by its 4-locular anthers (2-locular in Lindera).
Selected References
None.