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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Prodr.

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: French Guiana, Aublet s.n. (BM!)

Description: Shrubs or trees 2-10 m tall, the young branchlets, elevated primary leaf veins beneath, inflorescences, and hypanthia sparsely and deciduously stellulate-furfuraceous, the distal branchlets conspicuously 6-8-angled. Leaves typiclly in whorls of 3 or 4, the blades 3-plinerved, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 8-20 X 2.5-7 cm, essentially glabrous on both surfaces, apex acuminate, base acute, the margin entire to inconspicuously undulate; petioles 0.2-1 cm long. Inflorescence a multiflowered panicle (5-)7-18 cm long with 4-6 verticillate branches at each node; flowers 5-merous, subsessile or on pedicels to 0.5 mm long, the early deciduous triangular bracteoles 0.5-1 mm long. Calyx reduced to a low (0.2 mm high) truncate to undulate rim with the minute exterior teeth barely projecting. Petals oblong-obovate, papillose on both surfaces, ca. 1.5 X 0.5-0.7 mm. Stamens unequal in size; anthers cuneate with a broad ventrally inclined pore, alternately 1.5 mm and 1 mm long, white, connective of the larger ones prolonged ca. 0.7 mm and expanded dorso-basally into a deflexed lobulate appendage that forms a semicircular collar, connective of the smaller anthers prolonged ca. 0.5 mm and dilated dorso-basally into a blunt deflexed spur. Style glabrous, 3 mm long; stigma not expanded; ovary 3-4-locular, 1/2-2/3 inferior, apex minutely papillose; berry 4-5 X 4-5 mm, yellow turning blue-black at maturity. Seeds broadly pyramidate to lunate, smooth and rounded to angulate on the convex face, 1-1.5 mm long.

Habitat and Distribution: Locally common, rain forest, river margins. 0-1000 m. Southern Mexico (Oaxaca and Veracruz south), Trinidad, all the Guianas, Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia, N and NE Brazil. MEXICO: Chiapas (Valdivia 2261, CAS); BELIZE (Gentle 4886, CAS); GUATEMALA (Contreras 2889, CAS); HONDURAS (Edwards 669, US); NICARAGUA (Araquistain 3250, CAS); COSTA RICA (Umaña et al. 613, CAS); PANAMA (Almeda & McPherson 6026, CAS).

Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]