Monographs Details:
Authority:

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

Melastomataceae
Scientific Name:

Tococa obovata Gleason
Description:

Species Description - Shrub, to 0.3-2.0 m tall; stems with a mix of glandular and nonglandular setae 3-7 mm long, persistent, the nodes glabrous. Leaves isophyllous, elliptic-ovate to oblong, occasionally obovate, 4.0-8.5 X (1.5-) 2.0-5.0 cm, apex acute to round, base round to cordulate, the sinus up to 6 mm long, adaxial surface adpressed-setose, abaxial surface sparsely glandular-setose to furfuraceous on the veins, but the surface in between glabrous, light green, 5-nervate, coriaceous, entire, ciliate; petioles 0.3-0.9(-1.8) cm long, with a mix of glandular setae and lepidote hairs; domatia rarely present (only in subsp. neblinensis). Inflorescence terminal, solitary or a panicle of 3-5 flowers, 2-5 cm long, the axis green, terete. Flowers on pedicels 5-10 mm long, articulated at the base of the hypanthium, flared at the apex, subtended by persistent bracts, subulate but with a broad base, 1.5-2.0 X 0.6 mm; hypanthium campanulate, 7.5-8.0 mm long, sparsely glandular-pubescent, and with short lepidote trichomes; outer calyx teeth narrowly triangular, projecting above the inner teeth, 1.5-2.5 mm long, glandular-setose, inner calyx teeth broadly triangular, fused at the base 0.7-1.5 mm, 2.5-3.0 mm long; the ring inside the torus glabrous; petals 5, obovate-oblong, 15-22 X 7-10 mm, base attenuate, emarginate, smooth, glabrous, occasionally with a caducous, terminal, glandular seta, in bud the exposed surface of the petal red, the remaining surface white, the adaxial surface pink; stamens all the same size; filaments 8.0-9.0 mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow; the connective with a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 6.0-6.5 mm long, opening by an upright to ventrally inclined pore; ovary 3-locular, 1/2 inferior, the superior portion terete, the apex truncate; style glabrous, 12-14 mm long; stigma truncate. Fruits globose, with the calyx persistent and slightly reflexed, 8.0-11.0 mm long, black, sparsely glandular setose; seeds not evident through the pericarp, truncate-obovate, 0.71.3 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls flat, boundaries between periclinal walls flat.