Taxon Details: Miconia altissima Cogn.
Taxon Profile:
Narratives:
Family:
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:
Miconia altissima Cogn.
Miconia altissima Cogn.
Accepted Name:
This name is currently accepted.
This name is currently accepted.
Description:
Description Author and Date: Description by Mayara K. Caddah, 2013.
Type: Brazil. Rio de Janeiro: Alto Macahé de Nova Friburgo. Glaziou 16909 (syntypes: BR-3 sheets, C, F, G-2 sheets, K, P, R-2 sheets, NY, US).
Description: Trees up to 18 m tall; young branches flattened, with interpetiolar ridges, densely covered by lepidote trichomes. Leaves discolorous; petioles 2.7-6.7 cm; blades 12-18 x 4-6.5 cm, lanceolate, apex acute to acuminate, base acute to slightly decurrent, margin entire to slightly repand, mainly in the superior third, chartaceous, longitudinal nerves 3, with an additional faint, marginal pair, supra-basal, 8-11 mm above the base, abaxial surface with dense yellowish indument consisting of flattened, sessile-stellate trichomes, ca. 0.1 mm diam. Panicles 4-6 x 2.5-4.5 cm, glomerulate, terminal, occasionally with accessory branches, densely covered by sessile-stellate trichomes with short arms, ca. 0.1 mm diam.; bracts and bracteoles caducous. Flowers 5-merous. Hypanthium (2.6) 3-3.4 mm long, campanulate to tubulose, costate, inner surface glabrous, outer densely covered by sessile-stellate trichomes with short arms, ca. 0.1 mm diam.; torus glabrous. Calyx truncate, caducous in fruit, inner surface densely covered by sessile-stellate trichomes, outer with trichomes similar to the ones on the hypanthium; tube 0.5-0.6 mm long, lobes 0.1-0.2 mm long, outer teeth lobes indistinct. Petals 2.6-3 x 2.3-2.5 mm. Stamens bright yellow, slightly dimorphic; filaments 2.9-3.4 mm long, glabrous; connectives not prolonged below the thecae, with two small, ventral, appendages and a dorsal tooth in the longer stamens, unappendaged in the shorter ones; anthers 2.9-3.4 mm long, oblong, with a single terminal, moderate pore, ca. 0.3 mm diam. Ovary 1.5-1.6 mm long, 1/3 adherent to the hypanthium, 3-locular, apex glabrous; style 3 mm long, straight to curved, punctiform, glabrous. Fruits not seen.
Habitat and Distribution: Miconia altissima is only known from the mountains of Teresópolis, state of Rio de Janeiro, in the Atlantic Forest s.s., from 1300-1600 m.
Description Author and Date: Description by Mayara K. Caddah, 2013.
Type: Brazil. Rio de Janeiro: Alto Macahé de Nova Friburgo. Glaziou 16909 (syntypes: BR-3 sheets, C, F, G-2 sheets, K, P, R-2 sheets, NY, US).
Description: Trees up to 18 m tall; young branches flattened, with interpetiolar ridges, densely covered by lepidote trichomes. Leaves discolorous; petioles 2.7-6.7 cm; blades 12-18 x 4-6.5 cm, lanceolate, apex acute to acuminate, base acute to slightly decurrent, margin entire to slightly repand, mainly in the superior third, chartaceous, longitudinal nerves 3, with an additional faint, marginal pair, supra-basal, 8-11 mm above the base, abaxial surface with dense yellowish indument consisting of flattened, sessile-stellate trichomes, ca. 0.1 mm diam. Panicles 4-6 x 2.5-4.5 cm, glomerulate, terminal, occasionally with accessory branches, densely covered by sessile-stellate trichomes with short arms, ca. 0.1 mm diam.; bracts and bracteoles caducous. Flowers 5-merous. Hypanthium (2.6) 3-3.4 mm long, campanulate to tubulose, costate, inner surface glabrous, outer densely covered by sessile-stellate trichomes with short arms, ca. 0.1 mm diam.; torus glabrous. Calyx truncate, caducous in fruit, inner surface densely covered by sessile-stellate trichomes, outer with trichomes similar to the ones on the hypanthium; tube 0.5-0.6 mm long, lobes 0.1-0.2 mm long, outer teeth lobes indistinct. Petals 2.6-3 x 2.3-2.5 mm. Stamens bright yellow, slightly dimorphic; filaments 2.9-3.4 mm long, glabrous; connectives not prolonged below the thecae, with two small, ventral, appendages and a dorsal tooth in the longer stamens, unappendaged in the shorter ones; anthers 2.9-3.4 mm long, oblong, with a single terminal, moderate pore, ca. 0.3 mm diam. Ovary 1.5-1.6 mm long, 1/3 adherent to the hypanthium, 3-locular, apex glabrous; style 3 mm long, straight to curved, punctiform, glabrous. Fruits not seen.
Habitat and Distribution: Miconia altissima is only known from the mountains of Teresópolis, state of Rio de Janeiro, in the Atlantic Forest s.s., from 1300-1600 m.