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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

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: Mexico, Galeotti 2908 (P!).

Description: Dioecious shrub or small tree 1-6 m tall, the rounded-quadrate uppermost cauline internodes, vegetative buds, petioles of uppermost leaves, elevated primary veins on abaxial foliar surface, inflorescence branchlets, and bracteoles densely to moderately covered with a varied indument of tan scurfy-stellulate hairs, fimbriate bran-like hairs, or ± flattened irregularly roughened hairs. Leaves of a pair equal to somewhat unequal in size; blades 5-nerved, ovate-oblong, 7.5-24.8 x 2.7-9.4 cm, apex acuminate to caudate-acuminate, base rounded to cordulate, the margin entire to inconspicuously undulate-denticulate, the adaxial surface glabrous, the abaxial surface also essentially glabrous at maturity, sometimes punctate or sparingly and deciduously lepidote; petioles 1.1-6.3 cm long. Inflorescence a multiflowered panicle 5-18 cm long; flowers 5-merous on pedicels 1-2 mm long, unisexual, the early deciduous bracteoles subulate to oblong, 0.75-1.5 x 0.25 mm. Calyx tube 0.25 mm long, the calyx lobes rounded-triangular, 0.25 x 1 mm, the exterior calyx teeth bluntly triangular, 0.25 mm long and shorter than the calyx lobes. Petals white, glabrous, obovate, 1.5 x 1.5 mm. Anthers isomorphic, white, cuneiform and widest apically, 4-celled and 2-pored, 1.5-2 mm long in staminate flowers, mostly 1 mm long in pistillate flowers but non-polleniferous; connective thickened and elevated dorso-basally into a knobby appendage and prolonged ventro-basally into a lobule 0.1-0.25 mm long at the base of each anther sac. Style glabrous, 4-5 mm long; stigma peltate; ovary 3-locular, 2/3 inferior, apex glabrous, berry 5-6 x 5-6 mm when dry, turquoise-blue at maturity. Seeds ovoid, the testa smooth, 0.5 mm long.

Habitat and Distribution: Locally common in primary cloud forest and pine-oak forest. 1800-3000 m. Mexico (Oaxaca). GUATEMALA (Standley & Williams 1963:477).

Taxonomy and Systematics: Among the Mexican and Central America species of Miconia with 5-merous flowers and 3-locular ovaries, M. hemenostigma is most similar to M. alpestris of Guatemala. The latter may ultimately prove to be nothing more than a geographic variant of M. hemenostigma. In M. alpestris the leaf blades are elliptic (vs. ovate-oblong), the leaf base is acute to obtuse (vs. rounded to cordulate), the indument is rusty-brown (vs. tan), and the seed testa is minutely but distinctly rugulate (vs. smooth). In M. hemenostigma, the functionally staminate flowers commonly produce styles of reduced size (1 mm long) with a capitellate stigma. In the pistillate flowers the styles are 4-5 mm long and the stigma is conspicuously peltate.

Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]