KEY E: Leaves broadest beyond middle (obovate, oblanceolate) (Master key)

1. Petioles 2-5 cm, midvein flat above, leaf much paler below than above (gray-green or blue-green), fruit globose and without a cupule ... 2

2. Petiole and sometimes lower midvein red-maroon, lateral veins 9-13, blade elliptic to weakly obovate, fruit a 1 cm blue berry with persistent prominent tepals and delicate pedicel, Pacific slope at 1000-1450 m ... Persea caerulea

2. Petiole and midvein yellow-green, lateral veins 7-9, blade elliptic, obovate or nearly round, fruit 3-5 cm, green, with a thick woody pedicel and without prominent and persistent tepals, Pacific slope at 900-1450 m ... Persea americana ("small fruit")

1. Petioles 2 cm or less, midvein usually raised above, leaf not much paler below, fruit elliptic to oblong, with or without a cupule ... 3

3. Blade elliptic to weakly obovate, apex pointed (acute to acuminate), petiole distinct from blade, base of blade not curled under, tertiary veins often expressed above when dry ... 4

4. Some leaves subopposite and often with 3-4 subopposite leaves bunched at twig tips, lateral veins 8-11, short and crowded at leaf base, weakly expressed in life, glabrous, Pacific slope below 1550 m ... 5

5. Leaves often acute, the tip curved downward and pointing toward ground, lateral veins flat below and obscure, leaves more elliptic, trunk of large trees fluted and ropey, wetter forest from San Luis to Monteverde ... Beilschmiedia brenesii (Chanchillo)

5. Leaf apex often blunt or rounded, straight, the tip not curved downward, lateral veins expressed below and distinct, blades more distinctly obovate, trunk of large trees round and straight, drier forest between Monteverde, Lindora, and San Rafael ... Beilschmiedia sp. (Chancho blanco)

4. Leaves rarely subopposite and not bunched at twig tips ... 6

6. Lateral veins 4-5, long and angling sharply upward from base, twiglets, petioles and veins puberulent, leaf blades 6-8 cm, cloud forest above 1500 m ... Ocotea praetermissa

6. Lateral veins 7-9, glabrous, not sharply ascending, but angling from midvein at about 45&Mac176;, leaf blades 8-15 cm ... 7

7. Lateral veins flat below and hard to see, midvein green above, moist forest at 1000-1300 m ... Ocotea sp. ('Llanos')

7. Lateral veins expressed below and yellow, midvein yellow above ... 8

8. Strong odor in twigs and petioles, without any opposite leaves, leaf buds becoming glabrous, occurring below cloud forest on both slopes ... 9

9. Leaves small, most less than 9 cm, lateral veins barely expressed below, leaf buds densely pubescent, dry lowlands to 1000 m ... Ocotea veraguensis

9. Leaves mostly larger than 9 cm, lateral veins expressed below, leaf buds nearly glabrous, about 1000-1500 m on Pacific slope and down to 700 m on Atlantic slope ... Ocotea floribunda

8. Weak odor in twigs and petioles, occasional pairs of opposite or subopposite
leaves ... 10

10. Lateral veins 4-5, strongly ascending in basal half, apex mostly acute,
largest leaf blades about 15 cm, cloud forest and Atlantic slope ... Beilschmiedia costaricensis

10. Lateral veins 7-9, not more strongly ascending in basal than distal half, apex mostly accuminate, largest leaf blades about 12 cm, Pacific slope below 1200 m. Beilschmiedia immersinervis

3. Blade distinctly obovate (paddle-shaped), apex commonly blunt (rounded to short-pointed), in some species base of blade curled under and continuing onto petiole making petiole hard to define, tertiary venation often obscure above when dry ... 11

11. Twigs with prominent dorso-lateral ridges, leaves commonly reaching 5-9 cm wide, above 1400 m on Pacific slope and extending onto Atlantic side ... 12

12. Leaf blade bulged up between lateral veins (bullate), with a bluish cast below, leaf base not curled under ... Beilschmiedia tilaranensis

12. Leaf blade flat above, without a bluish cast below, base of leaf often curled under near petiole ... 13

13. Leaf base strongly curled under ... Ocotea endresiana

13. Leaf base weakly curled under ... Ocotea tonduzii (= O. insularis, in part)

11. Twigs round, without distinct dorso-lateral ridges, leaves 2.5-6 cm wide, 1500-1800 m ... 14

14. Blade weakly bullate (bulging upward between lateral veins), prominent lip-shaped lenticels, Pacific slope northwest of Santa Elena at 1300-1500 m ... Pleurothyrium guindonii

14. Blade not bullate, without lenticels, high cloud forest and Atlantic slope (above 1500 m on Pacific slope) ... Ocotea sp. (‘Small leaf Ira Marañon’)