Ocotea minarum

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Gymnobalanus minarum
• Ocotea araraquarensis
• Ocotea campininha

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known scientifically as Ocotea minarum, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. Within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified under the order Laurales and the family Lauraceae. Finally, it is situated within the genus Ocotea.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution across several key regions of South America. In the northern part of the continent, it can be found throughout the North region of Brazil. Its presence extends into the West-Central and Southeast regions of Brazil as well. Moving toward the western part of the continent, the species is also documented in Bolivia. Finally, the distribution reaches into the southern portion of South America, specifically within Paraguay.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Ocotea minarum is characterized by its preference for high forest environments, specifically within the Bosque alto habitat. This species inhabits a specific altitudinal gradient, ranging from sea level up to a maximum elevation of 500 m AMSL. Within this lowland to mid-elevation range, its distribution is closely tied to the structural and environmental conditions of high forest ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Bosque alto

Life history

The life history of Ocotea minarum is characterized by a perennial lifecycle, allowing the individual to persist in its ecosystem for many years through successive growing seasons. As a long-lived woody species, it undergoes a developmental progression from seed germination to a stable adult phase, maintaining its physiological functions and structural integrity over an extended temporal scale. This perennial nature enables the plant to establish a consistent presence within its habitat, contributing to the long-term stability of its local environment through sustained biological activity.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Ocotea minarum is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree. It is a self-supporting plant that does not function as a climber or a liana, nor does it exhibit parasitic behavior, growing instead as an independent organism. The species is strictly terrestrial, lacking any aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic life stages such as holoepiphytes or hemiepiphytes. In terms of stature, the plant typically reaches a mean height of approximately 10 m, with a recorded maximum height of 8 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

8 m

Plant height mean:

10 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Ocotea minarum is characterized by complex metabolic processes typical of woody angiosperms within the Lauraceae family, focusing on efficient carbon sequestration and secondary metabolite production. As a non-nitrogen-fixing species, the plant lacks the symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia; therefore, it relies entirely on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil through its root system to satisfy its nutritional requirements. Its physiological framework supports robust secondary metabolism, specifically the synthesis of various phenylpropanoids and essential oils which serve as chemical defenses and structural components. The plant's photosynthetic efficiency and nutrient cycling are heavily dependent on the availability of soil nitrogen, as it must actively regulate nitrogen assimilation to maintain cellular homeostasis and support the growth of its dense, lignified tissues.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Ocotea minarum has 7 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Dicentrine, Dicentrinone, Leucoxylonine, Ocopodine, Ocoteine.

Dicentrine

1. Il Farmaco; edizione scientifica

Dicentrinone

1. Il Farmaco; edizione scientifica

Leucoxylonine

1. Il Farmaco; edizione scientifica

Ocopodine

1. Il Farmaco; edizione scientifica

Ocoteine

1. Il Farmaco; edizione scientifica

Predicentrine

1. Il Farmaco; edizione scientifica

Thalicminine

1. Il Farmaco; edizione scientifica