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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

J. Bot. (Hooker) 2: 303. 1840

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Isotype -- R. Schomburgk

Common Names:

Pucacuru-caspi, anayo-caspi, rifarillo, boyuyo, boyuyo de agua

Description:

Description Author and Date: Fabian A. Michelangeli, January 2010, based on Michelangeli, F. A. (2005). Tococa (Melastomataceae). Flora Neotropica Monographs 98: 1-114.

Type: Guayana (British Guiana): Schomburgk 980 p. p., (Holotype G [photos at F, NY]; isotypes BM [annotated by Wurdack as a isotype, but no collector information available], K[3], [one marked as holotype], NY, P[2]).

Description: Shrub or small tree, to 2.5-4.5 m tall. Stems glabrous, occasionally with a mix of sparse lepidote trichomes and non-glandular and glandular setae, the trichomes 1.0-2.0 mm long, persistent, but becoming caducous in the older stems, the nodes glabrous. Petioles 1-7 (-10) cm long, sparsely glandular setose or glabrous. Leaves anisophyllous, seldom isophyllous, ovate, elliptic or narrowly elliptic, the larger leaves (6-) 9-29 x (3.5-) 5-13 cm, the smaller leaves reduced by 25% to 35%, apex acute to acuminate or abrubtly caudate, base round to obtuse, rarely cordate, attenuate if the domatia is not completely immersed in the leaf blade, the base of the leaf blade attached to the adaxial surface of the domatium, adaxial surface glabrous, rarely with sparse caducous glandular setae, abaxial surface usually glabrous, occasionally with a mix of setae up to 1mm long and caducous stellate hairs on the primary and secondary nerves, light green, with 2 pairs of secondary veins basally nervate to slightly plinervate (up to 0.5 cm) in leaves lacking domatia, plinervate in leaves with domatia, the first pair of secondary nerves merging with the main nerve at the apex of the domatium, chartaceous, ciliate or ciliate-serrulate; domatia present in the larger leaves, occasionally in both leaves of each pair, completely to 3/5 immersed in the leaf blade, often the abaxial side flattened and level with the abaxial surface of the blade, ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 1.0-3.0 (-4.0) x 1.0-2.0 cm. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, of 8-25 (-40) flowers, 8-15 (-22) cm long, the axis green, flattened, glabrous or sparsely stellate puberolous. Flowers on pedicels 4-10 (-13) mm long, flared at the apex, subtended by caducous bracts, lanceolate, 1.5-3.5 x 0.5-0.7 mm; hypanthium conical to slightly campanulate, 5.5-7.5 mm long, glabrous or with a mix of lepidote hairs and long glandular setae; sepals ovate to deltoid, fused at the base 1/3 to 1/2 of the total length, glabrous, glandular setose or pilose, 2-6 mm long, calyx teeth subulate, rarely narrowly deltoid, projecting above the sepals, 0.5-3.5 mm long, glandular setose, rarely glabrous; the ring inside the torus glabrous. Petals 5, obovate to oblong, 8.5-11.0 x 5.0-6.5 mm, base attenuate, apex emarginate, margin occasionally slightly undulate, granulosus or pruinosus, glabrous, pink. Stamens all of the same size, the filaments 6.0-8.0 mm long, glabrous; anthers blue; the connective with a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 6.5-7.0 mm long, opening by a ventrally inclined pore. Ovary 3-locular, 1/2 to 4/5 inferior, the superior portion conical, the apex glabrous to densely pilose or with a corona of long glandular setae; style sparsely glandular setose and stellate pubescent at the base, occasionally glabrous, 15-20 mm long; stigma capitate, 1.5 mm wide (appearing funneliform when dry), the stigmatic surface finely papillate. Fruits urceolate, 15-22 (-25) mm long, blue, glabrous. The seeds not evident through the pericarp, narrowly ovate, 1.5-2.8 mm long, with capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls flat, boundaries between periclinal walls flat. Chromosome number n= 23.

Habitat and Distribution: In S Colombia, S Venezuela, Guyana, E Ecuador, W Peru and Brazil. Growing at the top of river banks, edge of lagoons and in flooded forests throughout the Amazon, Essequibo and Orinoco basins.

Phenology: Flowering at the beginning of the rainy season, fruits ripening at the end of the rainy season.

Taxonomy and Systematics: Tococa coronata is a common and widespread species that shows a large amount of morphological variation. It is most closely related to the other species with blue fruits and pubescent seeds. It can be distinguished from T. caudata by the partially superior ovary, and larger hypanthia and fruits. Tococa coronata differs from T. cordata in that it has a subulate outer calyx, and the domatia are not four-lobed on the abaxial side. The types of T.coronata and T. truncata are both from the same collections of Schomburgk, and both descriptions appeared in the same publication. However the differences between these specimens do not justify maintaining them as separate species. Given that neither name has priority, the more commonly used of T. coronata is here chosen. Several species with pubescent styles and/or ovary apices and subulate calyx teeth have been described from the lowlands of northern South America. Because observations of over 250 specimens clearly reveal that there is a large amount of variation among these characters, no case can be made to maintain them as separate taxa. Wurdack (1973a) had already pointed out the similarities between T. coronata, T. truncata, T. longisepala and T. egensis. Wurdack determined many specimens in the 1950’s and 60’s as T. egensis, but the older name of T. coronata is now being applied (Wurdack). The ripe fruits of T. coronata are occasionally used as fishing bait in the Ventuari and Río Negro basins. In the monograph of Tococa, I (2005) recognized Tococa setifera as a synonym of Tococa coronata. However, I have since seen abundant material from Eastern Colombia and I am convinced that Tococa setifera deserves recognition as a separate species.

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Tococa coronata Benth.: [Article] Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2005. (Melastomataceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 98: 1-114.