Tococa racemifera Wurdack

  • Authority

    Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2005. (Melastomataceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 98: 1-114. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Melastomataceae

  • Scientific Name

    Tococa racemifera Wurdack

  • Type

    Type. Colombia. Antioquia: wet forest, 3 km from Planta Providencia, 28 km SW of Zaragoza, Río Anori Valley, 400-700 m, 21 Feb 1977, Alverson, White & Shepherd 66 (holotype US; isotypes NY [2], WIS [n.v.]).

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrub, up to 2-3 m tall; stems with a mix of sparse nonglandular trichomes 2.0-4.0 mm long, glandular trichomes up to 1.5 mm long, and sparse stellate hairs, persistent, the nodes glabrous. Leaves anisophyllous, adaxial and abaxial surfaces sparsely setose, the trichomes up to 1.5 mm long, membranaceous, light green, the margins crenulate to serrulate; the larger leaf of each pair elliptic, 17-30(-40) X 7.5-14(-16) cm, apex acuminate, the leaf tip 1.2-2.0 cm long, base acute to obtuse, 5-nervate, the smaller leaf of each pair ovate to elliptic, base round to cordate, 3 (-5)-nervate; petioles 0.9-1.3 cm long in larger leaves, 0.2-0.3 cm long in smaller leaves, with pubescence as on stems; domada present in larger leaves, free or with the apex slightly immersed in the leaf blade, 1.41.7 X 0.7-0.9 cm, usually absent in smaller leaves, or if present, poorly developed. Inflorescence a slender raceme of numerous flowers, terminal but becoming axillary by overgrowth of the axillary meristem, 9-26 cm long, the axis terete, green, densely pubescent with reddish trichomes. Flowers sessile; bracts persistent; hypanthium conical, slightly 10-costate, 2.6-2.8 mm long, densely glandulose-setose on the ridges, the trichomes up to 1 mm long, densely stellate in between the ridges; outer calyx teeth acute, with 2-3 apical setae up to 1.5 mm long, 0.7-1.0 mm long, inner calyx teeth partly fused, the terminal lobes deltoid, 0.3-0.5 mm long; the ring inside the torus glabrous; petals 5, emarginate, 2.9-3.1 X 0.8-0.9 mm, smooth, glabrous, white; stamens all the same size; filaments 3.0-3.1 mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow; the connective with a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 2.8-3.1 mm long, opening by a dorsally inclined small pore; ovary 3-4-locular, 2/3 inferior, the superior portion sulcate, the apex glabrous; style glabrous, 8.0-9.0 mm long; stigma capitate, 0.5-0.6 mm wide. Fruits globose, 3.5-4.5 mm long, black, sparsely glandular-pubescent; seeds evident through the pericarp, truncate-obovate, 0.4 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, with sculpturing, anticlinal walls curved, periclinal walls flat, boundaries between periclinal walls flat.

  • Discussion

    Tococa racemifera is known from only three colletions from two localities in Antioquia, Colombia. The morphology of the inflorescences makes it a very distinct species. However, given some characters of its floral morphology, and especially the anatomy of cells of the seed testa, its affinities to other species of the Miconieae are not clear. Other species of Tococa have inflorescences that are laterally compressed (T. pachystachya and T. spadiciflora), but differences in the bracteoles and shape of the peduncle appear to negate a common origin for this characater.

  • Distribution

    Department of Antioquia, Colombia, endemic in forests up to 1000 m.

    Antioquia Colombia South America|