Taxon Profile:

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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Sargentia 8: 234. 1949

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Holotype -- I. M. Johnston

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: Panama, Johnston 448 (NY!).

Description: Small tree or shrub 3-10 m tall, the uppermost compressed to rounded-quadrate cauline internodes, petioles of uppermost leaves, primary veins on abaxial leaf surfaces, inflorescence branches, pedicels, and young hypanthia densely to sparsely beset with a deciduous stellate-puberulent indument. Leaves of a pair ± equal to somewhat unequal in size; blades 3-nerved (excluding the tenuous inconspicuous marginal pair), elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 7-18.7 x 1.8-5.7 (-7) cm, apex long-acuminate, base acute to obtuse, the margin entire to obscurely undulate; petioles 0.5-2.2 cm long. Inflorescence a panicle 5-13 cm long; flowers 5-merous, sessile or on pedicels 0.1-0.2 mm long, the early deciduous bracteoles linear to narrowly elliptic, 0.6-1 x 0.1 mm. Calyx truncate to vaguely undulate (the lobes obsolete), forming an erect flange 0.25-0.4 mm long that is completely deciduous in fruit; the exterior teeth obsolete or scarcely evident and then much shorter than the calyx flange. Petals white, minutely granulose-papillose, oblong, 2-3 x 0.75-1.6 mm. Anthers dimorphic in size and form, white, linear-oblong with a dorsally inclined pore; thecae alternately 1-1.5 mm and 0.5-1.2 mm long; connective prolonged 0.5-1 mm (on larger antehrs) or 0.5-0.8 mm (on small anthers), with a deltoid (large stamens) dorso-basal appendage 0.6-0.9 mm long or a minute (small stamens) trilobulate dorso-basal appendage. Style glabrous, 3-5 mm long; stigma truncate; ovary (3-)4-locular, 1/3 inferior at anthesis but appearing almost completely inferior in fruit, apex glabrous and ± smooth; berry 3 x 4 mm when dry, blue-black at maturity. Seeds broadly triangular, the testa smooth, 2-2.5 mm long.

Habitat and Distribution: Understory tree in primary rain forest. 100-600 m. Also in southern Mexico (Oaxaca and Veracruz) and Ecuador. BELIZE (Gentle 7956, CAS); GUATEMALA (Contreras 8865, CAS); COSTA RICA (Grayum et al. 5844, CAS); PANAMA (Hamilton & Stockwell 1429, CAS).

Taxonomy and Systematics: This species may be more widespread than available collections indicate. Because it appears to be a plant of the rain forest understory, its local populational demise and distributional fragmentation reflects that of forest destruction and degradation throughout the region.

Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]