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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.

Description: Shrub 1-3 m, the rounded-quadrate young branchlets glabrous or sparingly and caducously glandular-setose. Petiole 0.5-2 cm long, adaxially beset with caducous, spreading glandular hairs. Leaves 10-20 X 2.2-6.5 cm, elliptic-lanceolate to elliptic, 3-5-plinerved, with the inner pair of primary veins diverging oppositely or subalternately 0.5-2.7 cm above base of blade, base acute, apex gradually long-acuminate, the margin obscurely appressed-ciliate, adaxially glabrous, abaxially glabrous or sparingly setose basally along primary veins. Panicle 3-7 cm long, few-flowered, terminal becoming pseudolateral by elongation of axillary shoots, glabrous or sparsely glandular-setose; flowers 5-merous on pedicels up to 0.5 mm long; the persistent bracteoles 0.5 mm long. Hypanthium (at anthesis) 3-3.5 mm long to the torus, with a constricted apical neck that develops through maturity, glabrous or sparsely glandular-setose; calyx lobes depressed-ovate, up to 0.3 mm long, concealed by the linear exterior teeth projecting 1-1.5 mm. Petals white, glabrous, 1.5 X 0.5-0.75 mm, with an abaxial projecting subapical tooth. Filaments to 1.5 mm long; anther sacs white, 2-2.5 mm long, the pore dorsally inclined. Ovary 3-celled, inferior, with an obscure glabrous stylar collar; berry 4-5 mm in diameter, blue or whitish when ripe. Seeds 0.5-0.75 mm long.

Habitat: Rain forest understory and light gaps. 100-1000 m. (Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil.) PANAMA (Almeda & McPherson 5966, CAS).

Taxonomy and Systematics: I observed uniformly diseased plants of this species on Cerro Skopte near Coroma, Costa Rica in early 1992. To my knowledge, however, there are no known herbarium specimens from anywhere in Costa Rica.

Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]