  We introduce in this work a class of relativistic models for nuclear matter
and neutron stars which exhibits a parameterization, through mathematical
constants, of the non-linear meson-baryon couplings. For appropriate choices of
the parameters, it recovers current QHD models found in the literature: Walecka
and the Zimanyi and Moszkowski models (ZM and ZM3). For other choices of the
parameters, the new models give very interesting and new physical results.We
have obtained numerical values for the maximum mass and radius of a neutron
star sequence, red-shift, hyperon populations, radial distribution of
particles, among other relevant static properties of these stellar objects. The
phenomenology of neutron stars in ZM models is presented and compared to the
phenomenology obtained in other versions of the Walecka model. We have found
that the ZM3 model is too soft and predicts a very small maximum neutron star
mass, $\sim0.72 M_\odot$. A strong similarity between the results of ZM-like
models and those with exponential couplings is noted. Sensibility of the
results to the specific choice of the values for the binding energy and
saturation density is pointed out. Finally, we discuss the very intense scalar
condensates found in the interior of neutron stars which may lead to negative
effective masses.
