Taxon Details: Clidemia fraterna Gleason
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Family:
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:
Clidemia fraterna Gleason
Clidemia fraterna Gleason
Primary Citation:
Brittonia 2: 323. 1937
Brittonia 2: 323. 1937
Accepted Name:
This name is currently accepted.
This name is currently accepted.
Description:
Description Author and Date: Frank Almeda, based on Almeda, F. (2009). Melastomataceae. In: G. Davidse, M. Sousa-Sânchez, S. Knapp, & F. Chiang (eds.), Flora Mesoamericana: Cucurbitaceae a Polemoniaceae. 4(1): 164-338.
Type: Holotype: Costa Rica, Skutch 2687 (NY!).
Description: Shrub 1-3 m tall, the terete uppermost internodes, young vegetative buds, petioles, and inflorescence peduncles densely covered with a stellulate-lepidote indument. Leaves of a pair ± equal to somewhat unequal in size, the blades 6-15.4 x 2.9-6 cm, elliptic, 5-plinerved with the innermost pair of primary veins diverging from the midvein 1-4.7 cm above the blade base, apex acuminate, base cuneate and somewhat decurrent on the petiole, the margin entire, the adaxial surface glabrous, the abaxial surface deciduously stellulate-lepidote on the elevated primary veins and diminutively so on higher order veins. Inflorescence an openly branched collection of pseudolateral pedunculate mostly 3-flowered glomerules 2.5-4.5 cm long borne on both leafy and defoliated nodes; flowers 5-merous and sessile; outer paired bracteoles subtending each glomerule ovate, persistent, 2-3 x 2 mm, deciduously stellulate-furfuraceous; inner paired bracteoles subtending each lateral flower of a glomerule elliptic-ovate, persistent, 2-2.5 x 1.5 mm, sparingly stellulate-furfuraceous to glabrescent. Hypanthium densely stellate tomentose. Calyx fused in bud but rupturing at anthesis into 3-5 ovate or acute ± hyaline lobes ca. 0.8-1 x 1 mm; exterior calyx teeth subulate, 0.25-0.5 mm long. Petals glabrous, white, oblong-obovate, 3-4.5 x 1-1.5 mm. Filaments 1.5-2 mm long, anthers 1.2-1.5 x 0.5 mm, yellow; connective thickened dorsally but neither prolonged nor appendaged. Ovary 5-locular, completely inferior, apex ± flat, sparingly glandular puberulent to glabrescent at maturity. Berry, dark purple, 3.5 x 3.5 mm when dry. Seeds 0.5 mm long, the testa minutely asperulate.
Habitat and Distribution: Local and uncommon in rain forest, forest margins, and riverbanks. 975-1200 m. COSTA RICA (Webster 21900, CAS); PANAMA (Folsom 4053, CAS) (Endemic).
Taxonomy and Systematics: This species is not readily confused with any other congener because of the rupturing calyx lobes, the dense stellate tomentum on hypanthia, and the unusual inflorescence of pedunculate 3-flowered glomerules with sessile flowers. Gleason (1939) erroneously describes the inner bracteoles that subtend the lateral flowers of each glomerule as bifid. The lateral flowers are actually each subtended by two bracteoles that overlap somewhat basally to give the superficial impression of a bracteole that is apically bifid or lobed.
Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]
Description Author and Date: Frank Almeda, based on Almeda, F. (2009). Melastomataceae. In: G. Davidse, M. Sousa-Sânchez, S. Knapp, & F. Chiang (eds.), Flora Mesoamericana: Cucurbitaceae a Polemoniaceae. 4(1): 164-338.
Type: Holotype: Costa Rica, Skutch 2687 (NY!).
Description: Shrub 1-3 m tall, the terete uppermost internodes, young vegetative buds, petioles, and inflorescence peduncles densely covered with a stellulate-lepidote indument. Leaves of a pair ± equal to somewhat unequal in size, the blades 6-15.4 x 2.9-6 cm, elliptic, 5-plinerved with the innermost pair of primary veins diverging from the midvein 1-4.7 cm above the blade base, apex acuminate, base cuneate and somewhat decurrent on the petiole, the margin entire, the adaxial surface glabrous, the abaxial surface deciduously stellulate-lepidote on the elevated primary veins and diminutively so on higher order veins. Inflorescence an openly branched collection of pseudolateral pedunculate mostly 3-flowered glomerules 2.5-4.5 cm long borne on both leafy and defoliated nodes; flowers 5-merous and sessile; outer paired bracteoles subtending each glomerule ovate, persistent, 2-3 x 2 mm, deciduously stellulate-furfuraceous; inner paired bracteoles subtending each lateral flower of a glomerule elliptic-ovate, persistent, 2-2.5 x 1.5 mm, sparingly stellulate-furfuraceous to glabrescent. Hypanthium densely stellate tomentose. Calyx fused in bud but rupturing at anthesis into 3-5 ovate or acute ± hyaline lobes ca. 0.8-1 x 1 mm; exterior calyx teeth subulate, 0.25-0.5 mm long. Petals glabrous, white, oblong-obovate, 3-4.5 x 1-1.5 mm. Filaments 1.5-2 mm long, anthers 1.2-1.5 x 0.5 mm, yellow; connective thickened dorsally but neither prolonged nor appendaged. Ovary 5-locular, completely inferior, apex ± flat, sparingly glandular puberulent to glabrescent at maturity. Berry, dark purple, 3.5 x 3.5 mm when dry. Seeds 0.5 mm long, the testa minutely asperulate.
Habitat and Distribution: Local and uncommon in rain forest, forest margins, and riverbanks. 975-1200 m. COSTA RICA (Webster 21900, CAS); PANAMA (Folsom 4053, CAS) (Endemic).
Taxonomy and Systematics: This species is not readily confused with any other congener because of the rupturing calyx lobes, the dense stellate tomentum on hypanthia, and the unusual inflorescence of pedunculate 3-flowered glomerules with sessile flowers. Gleason (1939) erroneously describes the inner bracteoles that subtend the lateral flowers of each glomerule as bifid. The lateral flowers are actually each subtended by two bracteoles that overlap somewhat basally to give the superficial impression of a bracteole that is apically bifid or lobed.
Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]