Caryodaphnopsis fieldii (Lauraceae), a New Species from the Coastal Cordillera of Venezuela

A new species of Caryodaphnopsis Airy Shaw from Henri Pittier National Park, in the Coastal Cordillera of Aragua State, Venezuela, is described and illustrated, and its morphological relationships with allied species are discussed. Caryodaphnopsis fieldii Aymard & G. A. Romero resembles C. fosteri van der Werff, but it is distinguished by leaves with densely puberulent petioles and a rounded apex, pedicels 2-3 mm long, inner tepals 3-4.5 mm long and densely sericeous inside, stout filaments ca. 2 mm long, inner stamens with two globose glands attached at the base, and the pubescent ovary. Geographical information about the Coastal Cordillera region and a key to the Neotropical species of Caryodaphnopsis are presented. This species represents the first report of this genus for Venezuela.