Taxon Details: Tococa tepuiensis Wurdack
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Narratives:
Family:
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:
Tococa tepuiensis Wurdack
Tococa tepuiensis Wurdack
Primary Citation:
Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10(5): 176. 1964
Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10(5): 176. 1964
Accepted Name:
This name is currently accepted.
This name is currently accepted.
Description:
Description Author and Date: Fabian A. Michelangeli, January 2010, based on Michelangeli, F. A. (2005). Tococa (Melastomataceae). Flora Neotropica Monographs 98: 1-114.
Type: Venezuela. Bolívar: slopes near Río Tírica, Agparaman-tepui, 1365 m, 5 MAR 1955, Steyermark & Wurdack 1261, (holotype US; isotypes F, NY, VEN).
Description: Shrub or small tree, to 4-11 m tall. Stems with a mix of sparse glandular setae and stellate trichomes, early caducous, the nodes glabrous. Petioles 6-17 cm long, with a mix of glandular setae and stellate hairs. Leaves isophyllous, oblong-elliptic to ovate, 13-35 x 9-21 cm, base obtuse to round, light green, with 2-3 pairs of secondary veins, plinervate, membranaceous to chartaceous, dentate-ciliate, the abaxial side of the primary vein densely to sparsely setose; domatia absent. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, of 8-20 flowers, 10-17 cm long, the axis green, flattened. Flowers on pedicels 0-5 mm long, flared at the apex, subtended by late caducous to persistent bracts, lanceolate, 1.0-2.0 x 0.5 mm; hypanthium campanulate, 6.5-7.5 mm long, glabrous; sepals broadly deltoid, fused 2/3 of the length at the base, 1.5 mm long, calyx teeth highly reduced; the ring inside the torus glabrous. Petals 5, obovate, 7.5-9.5 x 6.5-7.0 mm, base attenuate, emarginated, pruinosus, glabrous, white to light pink. Stamens all of the same size, the filaments fuchsia to pink, 7.0-7.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow; the connective without a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 6.5-7.0 mm long, opening by a ventrally inclined pore. Ovary 3-locular, 1/2-2/3 inferior, the superior portion terete, the apex truncate; style glabrous, 14-15 mm long; stigma peltate to capitate, 1.5 mm wide. Fruits globose, 7.5-9 mm long, black, glabrous. The seeds not evident through the pericarp, truncate-obovate, 0.8-1.0 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls flat, boundaries between periclinal walls flat. Chromosome number n= unknown.
Taxonomy and Systematics: Tococa tepuiensis is very similar to rarely collected T. erioneura, although it differs in the pubescence of leaf and stems and some floral characters. Most importantly, however, T. tepuiensis lacks the blunt tooth at the base of the dorsal connective of the anther. The two subspecies are differentiated on the basis of the leaf pubescence and the apex shape. Even though the amount of intraspecific variation in the leaf pubescence is such that it might warrant the differentiation of the two subspecies described by Wurdack, there are specimens that exhibit a high degree of variation, most noticeable at Cerro La Neblina and Sierra de Parima. Leaf and stem pubescence is a highly variable character in other taxa of Tococa (see discussion under T. guianensis). Likewise, in at least one instance (T. bolivarensis and T. raggiana) it has proven to be a useful character to differentiate between taxa. Therefore, the study of a larger amount of populations and specimens is necessary to carefully evaluate the status of these two subspecies.
Key to infraspecific species:
1: Leaves pubescent, with long glandular trichomes, apex acute………… T. tepuiensis subsp. tepuiensis
2: Leaves glabrous, apex obtuse………… T. tepuiensis subsp. glabrata
Description Author and Date: Fabian A. Michelangeli, January 2010, based on Michelangeli, F. A. (2005). Tococa (Melastomataceae). Flora Neotropica Monographs 98: 1-114.
Type: Venezuela. Bolívar: slopes near Río Tírica, Agparaman-tepui, 1365 m, 5 MAR 1955, Steyermark & Wurdack 1261, (holotype US; isotypes F, NY, VEN).
Description: Shrub or small tree, to 4-11 m tall. Stems with a mix of sparse glandular setae and stellate trichomes, early caducous, the nodes glabrous. Petioles 6-17 cm long, with a mix of glandular setae and stellate hairs. Leaves isophyllous, oblong-elliptic to ovate, 13-35 x 9-21 cm, base obtuse to round, light green, with 2-3 pairs of secondary veins, plinervate, membranaceous to chartaceous, dentate-ciliate, the abaxial side of the primary vein densely to sparsely setose; domatia absent. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, of 8-20 flowers, 10-17 cm long, the axis green, flattened. Flowers on pedicels 0-5 mm long, flared at the apex, subtended by late caducous to persistent bracts, lanceolate, 1.0-2.0 x 0.5 mm; hypanthium campanulate, 6.5-7.5 mm long, glabrous; sepals broadly deltoid, fused 2/3 of the length at the base, 1.5 mm long, calyx teeth highly reduced; the ring inside the torus glabrous. Petals 5, obovate, 7.5-9.5 x 6.5-7.0 mm, base attenuate, emarginated, pruinosus, glabrous, white to light pink. Stamens all of the same size, the filaments fuchsia to pink, 7.0-7.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow; the connective without a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 6.5-7.0 mm long, opening by a ventrally inclined pore. Ovary 3-locular, 1/2-2/3 inferior, the superior portion terete, the apex truncate; style glabrous, 14-15 mm long; stigma peltate to capitate, 1.5 mm wide. Fruits globose, 7.5-9 mm long, black, glabrous. The seeds not evident through the pericarp, truncate-obovate, 0.8-1.0 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls flat, boundaries between periclinal walls flat. Chromosome number n= unknown.
Taxonomy and Systematics: Tococa tepuiensis is very similar to rarely collected T. erioneura, although it differs in the pubescence of leaf and stems and some floral characters. Most importantly, however, T. tepuiensis lacks the blunt tooth at the base of the dorsal connective of the anther. The two subspecies are differentiated on the basis of the leaf pubescence and the apex shape. Even though the amount of intraspecific variation in the leaf pubescence is such that it might warrant the differentiation of the two subspecies described by Wurdack, there are specimens that exhibit a high degree of variation, most noticeable at Cerro La Neblina and Sierra de Parima. Leaf and stem pubescence is a highly variable character in other taxa of Tococa (see discussion under T. guianensis). Likewise, in at least one instance (T. bolivarensis and T. raggiana) it has proven to be a useful character to differentiate between taxa. Therefore, the study of a larger amount of populations and specimens is necessary to carefully evaluate the status of these two subspecies.
Key to infraspecific species:
1: Leaves pubescent, with long glandular trichomes, apex acute………… T. tepuiensis subsp. tepuiensis
2: Leaves glabrous, apex obtuse………… T. tepuiensis subsp. glabrata
Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):
Tococa tepuiensis Wurdack: [Article] Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2005. (Melastomataceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 98: 1-114.
Tococa tepuiensis Wurdack: [Article] Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1964. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part V. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10: 1-278.
Tococa tepuiensis Wurdack: [Article] Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2005.
Tococa tepuiensis Wurdack: [Article] Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1964. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part V. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10: 1-278.