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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 66: 417. 1939

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Holotype -- A. F. Skutch

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 3394 (NY!).

Description: Shrub 3-4 m tall, the quadrisulcate uppermost cauline internodes, petioles, inflorescence branches, and pedicels moderately to copiously covered with spreading ± flattened roughened hairs up to1 mm long underlain with a moderate scattering of minute dot-like glands. Leaves of a pair equal to subequal in size; the blades 5-nerved, elliptic-oblong, 8.7-29 x 3.4-9 cm, the apex short- to long-acuminate, base acute, the margin ciliate, inconspicuously crenulate to subentire, the adaxial blade surface essentially glabrous, the primary veins of the abaxial blade surface moderately to copiously covered with spreading ± flattened roughened hairs like the upper internodes, the higher order veins sparsely covered with smooth and inconspicuously barbed spreading hairs that are somewhat curled; petioles 0.9-4.5 cm long. Inflorescence a multiflowered panicle 8-20 cm long; the flowers 5-merous on pedicels 1-1.5 mm long, the bracteoles evidently very early deciduous and not seen. Calyx tube 0.25 mm long, the calyx lobes triangular-ovate with a fine-fimbriate margin, 0.75 x 0.75-1 mm, the exterior calyx teeth bluntly triangular, 0.25 mm long, ± equaling the calyx lobes in length. Petals white, glabrous, suborbicular, 2.5-3 x 2.5-3 mm. Anthers isomorphic, white, oblong, 4-celled and 2-pored, 1-1.5 mm long, the connective prolonged abaxially below the thecae for 0.25 mm, glandular-puberulent like the filaments, thickened dorso-basally into a dilated knobby appendage and modified ventro-basally into a bilobulate appendage. Style minutely glandular-puberulent to glabrate, 5-6.5 mm long; stigma peltate; ovary 3-locular (?), completely inferior, the apex glabrous. Berry 5 x 5 mm when dry, dull blue at maturity. Seeds ovoid, the testa granulate, ca. 0.5 mm long.

Habitat and Distribution: Rare in cloud forest. 900-1680 m. COSTA RICA (Wilbur & Stone 10621, DS). (Endemic).

Taxonomy and Systematics: Miconia cremadena is known from few collections but it is readily recognized by its indument of flattened roughened hairs that grade into bran-like hairs on the inflorescence extremities and pedicels, its glandular-puberulent filaments and anther connective, completely inferior ovary, and granulate seed coat. Although the protologue describes the ovary as 2-locular, I strongly suspect that it is 3-locular like other related species. Unfortunately the fruits of this species tend to shrivel up when dried in a way that makes ovary locularity very difficult to ascertain with certainty. Almeda et al. 6775 CAS and Almeda et al 6144, CAS, from Chiriquí, Panama are similar to M. cremadena in most diagnostic characters but they lack the smooth to barbellate hairs on higher order veins of abaxial foliar surfaces and also lack the glandular puberulence on filaments and connectives.

Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]