Taxon Details: Tococa leticiana Michelang.
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Family:
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:
Tococa leticiana Michelang.
Tococa leticiana Michelang.
Primary Citation:
Brittonia 58: 151, fig. 1. 2006
Brittonia 58: 151, fig. 1. 2006
Accepted Name:
This name is currently accepted.
This name is currently accepted.
Description:
Description Author and Date: Fabian A. Michelangeli, January 2010, based on original description
Description: Tree or treelet, up to 6 m tall. Stems terete, densely pubescent, the simple, eglandular trichomes up to 5 mm long, persistent, magenta to crimson. Leaves isophyllous or slightly anisophyllous, (12-) 17-50 x 7-14 (-16) cm, 5-nervate (excluding the very inconspicuous marginal veins), elliptic to obovate, apex acute to shortly acuminate, base acute, entire to obscurely serrulate-ciliate, membranaceous, adaxial side appressed-setose, abaxial side densely setose on the primary and secondary veins, the surface sparsely to densely setose, light green; domatia present on both leaves of each node, 1.5-2.5 cm x 0.8-1.3 cm, ovoid to narrowly ovoid, at the apex of the petiole, the apex of the domatia slightly immersed in the leaf blade, with sparse broad-based trichomes up to 3 mm long; petioles 2-5.5 cm long, pubescence as in the stems. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, 13-20 cm long, with numerous flowers, the axis fuchsia, flattened, pubescent, the simple eglandular trichomes up to 2.5 mm long; bracts at the base of the inflorescence, branches, and dichasia, the basal most bracts 7.5-11 x 3.5-6 cm, caducous, surrounding the developing inflorescence, sub-orbicular to elliptic with an acuminate apex 2-4 cm long, the abaxial surface red, the adaxial surface white-yellow, both surfaces flat with the nerves obvious towards the apex, and with a mixture of dense short simple trichomes up to 0.6 mm long and sparse simple trichomes up to 2.5 mm long; remaining bracts progressively smaller in size and narrower from the base of the inflorescence to the apex and from the base of the branches to the individual dichasia; bracteoles subtending the flowers 3-9 x 1.2-2.5 mm, lanceolate to linear, caducous. Flowers sessile, 5-merous; hypanthia broadly conical at the base, becoming cylindrical at the apex, 6.5-8 mm long, with a mixture of sparse simple and gland-headed setae up to 3.5 mm long, and occasionally with very sparse dendritic hairs; outer calyx teeth highly reduced, often inconspicuous; inner calyx teeth broadly deltoid, fused almost to the apex, 1.5-2.2 mm long; the ring inside the torus glabrous. Petals 6.5-8 x 4.5-5.5 mm, broadly oblong to ovate, apex emarginate, border entire, often undulate, pruinose to smooth, glabrous, pink to white. Stamens all of the same size, the filaments 5-6 mm long, pink, glabrous; anthers yellow, the connective with a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 5.0-6.0 (-6.5) mm long, opening by a upright to dorsally inclined pore. Ovary 3-locular, totally to 9/10 superior, terete, the apex with a corona of short, flat setae 1.2-2.1 mm long, partially fused at the base; style glabrous, 11-14 mm long; stigma capitate, 1.5-1.8 mm wide. Fruits globose, 8-14 mm long, black, sparsely glandular pubescent. Seeds numerous, not evident through the pericarp, triangular, 0.6-1.0 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls convex, boundaries between periclinal walls flat.
Habitat and Distribution: known only from Leticia in the Amazon River basin in Southern Colombia, although it might be locally abundant.
Taxonomy and Systematics: Tococa leticiana is closely related to T. guianensis Aublet as can be inferred by the similar seed anatomy and morphology and the ovary apex with a developed corona (Michelangeli, 2000). It can be distinguished from all other mymecophylous species of Tococa not only by the large caducous bracts and bracteoles, but also by its large leaves (up to 50 cm), and the reddish thick long trichomes on the stem, petioles, and domatia.
Description Author and Date: Fabian A. Michelangeli, January 2010, based on original description
Description: Tree or treelet, up to 6 m tall. Stems terete, densely pubescent, the simple, eglandular trichomes up to 5 mm long, persistent, magenta to crimson. Leaves isophyllous or slightly anisophyllous, (12-) 17-50 x 7-14 (-16) cm, 5-nervate (excluding the very inconspicuous marginal veins), elliptic to obovate, apex acute to shortly acuminate, base acute, entire to obscurely serrulate-ciliate, membranaceous, adaxial side appressed-setose, abaxial side densely setose on the primary and secondary veins, the surface sparsely to densely setose, light green; domatia present on both leaves of each node, 1.5-2.5 cm x 0.8-1.3 cm, ovoid to narrowly ovoid, at the apex of the petiole, the apex of the domatia slightly immersed in the leaf blade, with sparse broad-based trichomes up to 3 mm long; petioles 2-5.5 cm long, pubescence as in the stems. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, 13-20 cm long, with numerous flowers, the axis fuchsia, flattened, pubescent, the simple eglandular trichomes up to 2.5 mm long; bracts at the base of the inflorescence, branches, and dichasia, the basal most bracts 7.5-11 x 3.5-6 cm, caducous, surrounding the developing inflorescence, sub-orbicular to elliptic with an acuminate apex 2-4 cm long, the abaxial surface red, the adaxial surface white-yellow, both surfaces flat with the nerves obvious towards the apex, and with a mixture of dense short simple trichomes up to 0.6 mm long and sparse simple trichomes up to 2.5 mm long; remaining bracts progressively smaller in size and narrower from the base of the inflorescence to the apex and from the base of the branches to the individual dichasia; bracteoles subtending the flowers 3-9 x 1.2-2.5 mm, lanceolate to linear, caducous. Flowers sessile, 5-merous; hypanthia broadly conical at the base, becoming cylindrical at the apex, 6.5-8 mm long, with a mixture of sparse simple and gland-headed setae up to 3.5 mm long, and occasionally with very sparse dendritic hairs; outer calyx teeth highly reduced, often inconspicuous; inner calyx teeth broadly deltoid, fused almost to the apex, 1.5-2.2 mm long; the ring inside the torus glabrous. Petals 6.5-8 x 4.5-5.5 mm, broadly oblong to ovate, apex emarginate, border entire, often undulate, pruinose to smooth, glabrous, pink to white. Stamens all of the same size, the filaments 5-6 mm long, pink, glabrous; anthers yellow, the connective with a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 5.0-6.0 (-6.5) mm long, opening by a upright to dorsally inclined pore. Ovary 3-locular, totally to 9/10 superior, terete, the apex with a corona of short, flat setae 1.2-2.1 mm long, partially fused at the base; style glabrous, 11-14 mm long; stigma capitate, 1.5-1.8 mm wide. Fruits globose, 8-14 mm long, black, sparsely glandular pubescent. Seeds numerous, not evident through the pericarp, triangular, 0.6-1.0 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls convex, boundaries between periclinal walls flat.
Habitat and Distribution: known only from Leticia in the Amazon River basin in Southern Colombia, although it might be locally abundant.
Taxonomy and Systematics: Tococa leticiana is closely related to T. guianensis Aublet as can be inferred by the similar seed anatomy and morphology and the ovary apex with a developed corona (Michelangeli, 2000). It can be distinguished from all other mymecophylous species of Tococa not only by the large caducous bracts and bracteoles, but also by its large leaves (up to 50 cm), and the reddish thick long trichomes on the stem, petioles, and domatia.