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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Symb. Antill. (Urban) 8: 496. 1921

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Isotype -- M. D. Fuertes Lorén

Description:

Description Author and Date: Description from Judd, Walter S. & Penneys, Darin S. 2004. Taxonomic studies in the Miconieae (Melastomataceae). VIII. A revision of the species of the Miconia desportesii complex on Hispaniola. Rhodora. 106: 124-147.

Type: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Prov. Barahona: inter brachia rivulorum Cañada maluca, 1600 m, Apr 1912 (fl), Padre M. Fuertes 1491 (Holotype: B, presumably destroyed; Isotype: NY!, here designated as a lectotype). Figure 1.

Description: Shrub to 4 m tall. Indumentum of multicellular, ferrugineous, irregularly stellate to globular-stellate, and minute globular hairs. Young twigs ± rectangular in cross section, with two opposing faces slightly concave (i.e., those positioned above point of petiole attachment of adjacent proximal node) and the alternate faces slightly convex, 0.75-3 mm wide, becoming terete with age, the indumentum of moderate to dense multicellular, irregularly stellate to globose-stellate hairs, and minute globular hairs on the concave surfaces, becoming sparsely pubescent with age; nearly glabrous on the convex surfaces, with some elongate-branched hairs at the nodes; internodes 3.25-25 mm long. Leaves opposite, with petiole 1.25-9.5 mm long, the indumentum sparse, similar to that of the twigs, to essentially glabrous; blade elliptic to ovate, sometimes narrowly so, 9.5-54 x 4.4-19 mm, flat, coriaceous, the apex acute to obtuse, the base narrowly to broadly decurrent, the margin distinctly serrate, at least distally (ca. proximal 20-60% of margin entire), plane to slightly revolute, the largest teeth to 0.1-0.6 mm, most narrowed to a slender apical portion having the form of a seta; venation acrodromous, distinctly suprabasal, with prominent midvein and 2 pairs of secondary veins, with 1 pair of conspicuous secondary veins placed 0.85-3.3 mm in from margin, with 1 pair of inconspicuous intramarginal secondary veins, and numerous percurrent tertiary veins oriented subperpendicular to midvein, the tertiary veins either connected by quaternary veins or separated by variously developed composite-intertertiary veins; adaxial surface green, usually drying dark brown, the indumentum essentially glabrous, but with a few minute-globular or ± irregularly stellate hairs along midvein or major secondary veins, the midvein and major secondary veins slightly to strongly impressed, tertiary veins not to very slightly impressed, other veins not impressed, surface wrinkled and minutely papillose after drying because of the presence of scattered druse crystals; abaxial surface light green, sparsely to moderately covered with ferrugineous to reddish minute globular hairs, the midvein and major secondary veins prominently to moderately raised, all other veins ± flat; with a pair of pouch-like domatia 0.9-1.6 mm long, located at the junction of the major secondary veins and the midvein, occasionally with a second pair of domatia at the leaf base. Inflorescences terminal, several to many flowered, paniculate to racemose cymes of 2 or 3 major branch-pairs, 1.9-5.4 cm long, 1.4-2.6 cm across; proximal segment of lowermost inflorescence branches 3.2-12.3 mm long, distal internodes increasingly shorter, ultimate branches 0-0.6 mm, and flowers appearing in 3- (to 5-) flowered glomerules, terminating inflorescence branches, with a few hairs similar to those of the twigs; peduncle 6.1-15 mm, with similar indumentum; each inflorescence branch associated with a deciduous narrowly ovate to obovate or oblong bract, 3.5-14 x 0.5-3 mm, the apex acute to obtuse; flowers in dichasia, each subtended by 2 caducous narrowly elliptic to linear bracteoles 1-1.95 x 0.3-0.5 mm, the indumentum of a few minute-globular or irregularly branched hairs, especially along margin, or glabrous, the apices acute to acuminate; the lowermost inflorescence branches sometimes in the axils of leaves. Flowers sessile or nearly so, the pedicel 0-0.5 mm long. Hypanthium cylindrical-orbicular, free portion ca. 0.5-0.95 mm long, the outer surface with very sparse, ferrugineous, minute-globular hairs, the inner surface glabrous and slightly ridged, with ridges extending at hypanthium apex as minute extensions. External calyx teeth 5, 0.1-0.22 x 0.7-1.1 mm, triangular, with acute to obtuse apex, indumentum glabrous; internal calyx lobes 5, 0.28-0.41 x 0.7-1 mm, triangular to ovate-triangular, pale green (?) to red, glabrous, the apex acute to rounded (shortly acuminate), the margin ± entire; calyx tube 0.1-0.2 mm long. Petals 5, ovate to obovate or oblong, 1.3-1.9 x 0.8-1 mm, glabrous, white to pink tinged, imbricate and interlocking in bud, with apex rounded, with an asymmetrically located notch; margin entire. Stamens 10, geniculate, white, glabrous; proximal portion 1.25-1.7 mm long; distal segment (anther and distal portion of style) 1.5-2 mm long, the anther 1-1.15 mm long, with fertile portion of anther sacs 0.5-0.6 mm long, opening by a single, large, terminal pore, sometimes extending into a short ventral notch, with septum between the anther sacs clearly visible, the base slightly lobed, and with a dorsal, apically oriented projection ca. 0.06-0.16 mm long.

Description (cont.): Ovary 3-loculate (N=8), ca. 2/3-inferior, globose to ovoid, 1.3-1.5 x 0.85-1.1 mm, glabrous, strongly ridged, and these ending in rounded apical projections, with crown to 0.55-0.75 mm encircling the base of style; style straight, 2.35-3.15 mm long, glabrous; stigma slightly expanded. Berries globose to ellipsoid, 2-3 x 1.85-3.1 mm, reddish when immature, turning blue-black, essentially glabrous. Seeds rounded-pyramidal, 0.94-1.57 mm long; testa with isodiametric cells, the surface smooth.

Habitat and Distribution: Miconia desportesii is endemic to Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic) and occurs in the Cordillera Central and Sierra de Baoruco (Figure 2) in cloud forests and moist forests of Pinus occidentalis Sw. from 1600 to 2150 m elev. Commonly associated melastomes include M. selleana Urb. & Ekman, M. zanonii Judd, Skean, & R. S. Beaman, and Tetrazygia urbaniana (Cogn.) Croizat ex Moscoso. Other common associates are Baccharis myrsinites (Lam.) Pers., Brunellia comocladiifolia Humb. & Bonpl. subsp. domingensis Cuatr., Buddleja domingensis Urb., Eupatorium illitum Urb., Fuchsia triphylla L., Garrya fadyenii Hook., Gaultheria domingensis Urb., Lobelia rotundifolia Juss., Lyonia buchii Urb., Myrica picardae Krug & Urb., Myrsine coriacea (Sw.) R. Br. ex Roem. & Schult., Rhytidophyllum auriculatum Hook., and Vaccinium racemosum (Vahl) Wilbur & Luteyn.

Taxonomy and Systematics: Miconia desportesii can easily be distinguished from the other species treated here by its leaves with decurrent bases, consistent presence of mite-domatia (abaxially, at junction of major secondary veins and midvein, and occasionally also at junction of minor secondary veins and midvein), smaller flowers (e.g., petals 1.3-1.9 mm long and 0.8-1 mm wide; anthers 1-1.15 mm long), and seeds with a smooth testa.