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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Syst. veg. fl. Peruv. Chil.

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: Peru, Pavón s.n. (BM?).

Description: Shrubs 1-3(-5) m tall, the young branchlets, inflorescences, and hypanthia sparsely to moderately stellate-lepidote or stellulate-furfuraceous, the young branches strongly four-angled and conspicuously carinate. Leaves 3-nerved, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 12.5-30 X 8-24 cm, adaxially glabrous, abaxially sparsely stellulate-lepidote but varying to glabrate with age, apex gradually acuminate, base acute, the margin entire; petioles 1-4 cm long. Inflorescence a verticillate spike 8-15(-25) cm long; flowers 5-merous and sessile, the bracteoles subulate and deciduous, 0.5 mm long. Calyx tube 0.5 mm long, the depressed-ovate lobes 0.25(-0.5) mm long, the callose-thickened exterior teeth 0.25 mm long and not projecting. Petals stellulate-puberulent abaxially and granulose or papillose adaxially, obovate, 1.5-3 X 1.5-2 mm. Stamens isomorphic; anthers narrowly subulate, 2.5-3 mm long, white, the pore dorsally inclined; connective barely or not prolonged, dilated dorso-basally into a deflexed trilobed collar-like appendage. Style glabrous, 4-5 mm long; stigma not expanded; ovary 4-locular, 2/3 inferior, apex elevated into a papillose or obscurely glandular-puberulent irregularly lobed collar; berry 4-6 X 4-6 mm, purple-black at maturity. Seeds ovoid, obscurely rugulate, 0.7-1 mm long. Local and uncommon, rain forest, stream margins.

Habitat and Distribution: Local and uncommon, rain forest, stream margins. 0-700(-1200) m. Jamaica, Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia and N Brazil. MEXICO: Tabasco (Cowan & Zamudio 3961, CAS); Chiapas (Breedlove & Almeda 57337, CAS); BELIZE (Davidse 36990, CAS); GUATEMALA (Contreras 7899, CAS); HONDURAS (Croat 42602, CAS); N (Moreno 936, CAS); COSTA RICA (Herrera 2192, CAS); PANAMA (Sullivan 157, CAS).

Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]