Miconia fanshawei Wurdack

• Authority

  Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1961. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part IV (2). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10: 1-87.

• Family

  Melastomataceae

• Scientific Name

  Miconia fanshawei Wurdack

• Description

  Latin Diagnosis - M. dmphaneae Gleas. affinis sed cum foliis supra subpersistenter pubescentibus hypanthio densissime longeque hirsuto calycis dentibus exterioribus eminentibus. Frutex; rami cum petiolis inflorescentiis hypanthiisque densissime hirsuti pilis stipitato-stellatis plerumque 1.5-3 mm longis stramineis. Petioli 1.5-4 cm longi; lamina chartacea 15-25 X 8-15 cm ovato-oblonga vel ovata apice graditer vel subabrupte acuminata basi plerumque cuneata serrulata dentibus 1-2 mm profundis et ca. 2 mm inter se distantibus 5- vel sub-7-plinervata, supra primum modice cum pilis stipitato-stellatis vestita tarde glabrata pilis in venis primariis plusminusve persistentioribus, subtus praecipue in venis venulisque modice cum pilis stipitato-stellatis induta. Inflorescentia 3-13 cm longa plusminusve compacta ramulis brevibus vel brevissimis. Flores 5-meri sessiles in glomerulis lateralibus compactis. Hypanthium (ad torum) 2.5 mm altum; calycis tubus 0.2 mm altus, lobis interioribus anguste triangularibus et stipitato-stellatosetulosis cum corpore 0.4-0.5 mm longo, lobis exterioribus linearibus acutis dense stipitato-stellato-setulosis cum corpore 1.3-1.5 mm longo lobos interiores ca. 1 mm superantibus. Petala 2.7-3.5 X 0.7-1 mm oblonga apice rotundata. Stamina fere isomorphica; filamenta 2 mm longa; antherarum thecae 2 mm longae, connectivo basi non vel vix (ad 0.3 mm) prolongato et cum filamento simpliciter articulato non appendiculato. Stylus 5-6 X 0.25-0.35 mm; stigma leviter expansum; ovarium 3-loculare apice in collum 0.3-0.6 mm longum circum stylum protractum collo apice vix lacerato et leviter setulo.so.

• Discussion

  M. diaphanea has the upper leaf surface pubescence almost completely limited to the primary veins, the long hypanthial pubescence limited to the apex, and very short exterior calyx teeth which are exceeded by the interior teeth. As compared with the other two collections, the Eagle Mountain paratype of M. fanshawei shows extremely compact inflorescences with lateral branches scarcely developed; future collections may well show this population to be infraspecifically separable, but there seem to be no floral differences. The radiate trichome branches of the British Guiana species generally are longer than in M. diaphanea, but there is overlapping in this character. I was unable to see, even in young buds of M . fanshawei, a calyptriform calyx such as is apparently found in M. diaphanea; such an observation could be much more easily made in the field on fresh material since the dense pubescence obscures all such delicate features in dried specimens.