Tococa erythrophylla (Ule) Wurdack

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1964. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part V. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10: 1-278.

  • Family

    Melastomataceae

  • Scientific Name

    Tococa erythrophylla (Ule) Wurdack

  • Discussion

    Miconia erythrophylla Ule, Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 6: 357. 1915.

    T. erythrophylla is closely related to T. nitens (Benth.) Triana, differing in the dull red-fiushed leaf blades with plane secondary and tertiary lower leaf surface veins, as well as the ventro-terminal anther pore. T. nitens has glossy green leaf blades with prominently elevated-reticulate lower surface veinlets and the anther pore slightly tipped dorsally. Pubescence quantity is quite variable in both species. In Ule 8679 (ex photo) and two recent British Guiana collections (Tillett, Tillett, d Boyan 43984, 450.53), the leaves are glabrous and eciliate, although minutely crenulate-serrulate. Among the numerous recent Chimanta Massif and Auyan-tepui specimens, the leaf blades are caducously ciliolate-serrulate with surfaces varying from glabrous to sparsely lax-setulose. There apparently is a general correlation with habitat, the slope forest and cumbre scrub forest collections being the most pubescent; the pubescence transition is so gradual that no nomenclatoral recognition seems feasible. T. desiliens Gleason differs from T. erythrophylla in the gland-tipped stem, inflorescence, and hypanthium hairs and relatively broader leaf blades. T. cinnamomea Triana has the leaf blade bases rounded and nearly peltate on the petiole apex, as well as anther pores tilted dorsally.