Taxon Details: Clidemia taurina Gleason
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Narratives:
Family:
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:
Clidemia taurina Gleason
Clidemia taurina Gleason
Primary Citation:
Phytologia 3: 360. 1950
Phytologia 3: 360. 1950
Accepted Name:
This name is currently accepted.
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: TYPE: Panama, von Wedel 1917 (MO!).
Description: Shrub 0.5-2 m tall, the terete upper internodes copiously setose with reflexed smooth hairs 2-12 mm long. Leaves of a pair subequal to somewhat unequal in size with some but typically not all bearing elevated scrotiform formicaria 1.5-2.3 cm long at the apex of the petiole; petioles (including formicarial portion) 1.5-5 cm long with spreading smooth hairs 1.5-5 mm long; blades chartaceous and brittle when dry, 12-31 x 5.9-19 cm, ovate to oblong-ovate, apex attenuate to long-acuminate, base broadly rounded to subcordate, margin ciliate varying from denticulate to crenulate to subentire, 7-nerved, the adaxial surface with appressed to spreading smooth hairs 1-2 mm long varying to nearly glabrous on some individuals, the abaxial surface covered with spreading smooth hairs 2-2.5(-5) mm long on the primaries and higher order veins, and the actual surface. Inflorescence typically a pseudolateral laxly branched or somewhat congested umbelliform dichasium to 2 cm long, the axis obscured by the dense setose indument of spreading smooth hairs 4-6.5 mm long like that of the hypanthia and calyx teeth. Flowers 5-merous on minutely glandular pedicels 2-3 mm long, the persistent bracteoles subulate to linear-oblong, glabrous to sparsely short-setose 2.5-4 x 0.25-0.5 mm long (including the apical hair). Hypanthia (at anthesis) narrowly campanulate, sparsely setose, the actual surface sparingly glandular to mostly glabrous. Calyx lobes 1 x 1-2 mm, ovate to oblong or rounded-triangular, exterior calyx teeth linear to subulate, 4-5.5 mm long (including apical hair). Petals glabrous, white, oblong to oblong-obovate, 5-6 x 1-1.5 mm. Filaments 3 mm long; anthers 2-3 mm long, yellow with a dorsally inclined pore; connective somewhat thickened dorsally and prolonged ca. 0.1 mm below the anther sacs but unappendaged. Ovary 5-locular, completely inferior, apex elevated into a low deciduously glandular-puberulent crateriform collar that flattens out into a low circular ridge on maturing berries; berry blue when ripe, 4 x 4 mm when dry. Seeds 0.5 mm long, the testa densely tuberculate.
Habitat and Distribution: Local and uncommon in low rain forests. 0-800 m. COSTA RICA (Aguilar 544, INB); PANAMA (de Nevers et al. 5245, CAS). (Endemic)
Taxonomy and Systematics: Clidemia taurina is very similar to C. myrmecina in foliar venation, indument details and floral and fruit characters. These two species may ultimately prove to be conspecific when field studies can be conducted to evaluate variation. The scrotiform formicaria produced at the petiole apex appear to be the only consistent diagnostic feature separating C. taurina from C. myrmecina. The latter has elongate formicaria that occupy a small portion of the blade base and 2/3 to ¾ of the petiole below the blade. The inflorescence of C. taurina also appears to be less congested than that of C. myrmecina but much of the material available for study is too fragmentary and incomplete to make a definitive judgment on the extent of morphological variation at this time.
Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]
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: TYPE: Panama, von Wedel 1917 (MO!).
Description: Shrub 0.5-2 m tall, the terete upper internodes copiously setose with reflexed smooth hairs 2-12 mm long. Leaves of a pair subequal to somewhat unequal in size with some but typically not all bearing elevated scrotiform formicaria 1.5-2.3 cm long at the apex of the petiole; petioles (including formicarial portion) 1.5-5 cm long with spreading smooth hairs 1.5-5 mm long; blades chartaceous and brittle when dry, 12-31 x 5.9-19 cm, ovate to oblong-ovate, apex attenuate to long-acuminate, base broadly rounded to subcordate, margin ciliate varying from denticulate to crenulate to subentire, 7-nerved, the adaxial surface with appressed to spreading smooth hairs 1-2 mm long varying to nearly glabrous on some individuals, the abaxial surface covered with spreading smooth hairs 2-2.5(-5) mm long on the primaries and higher order veins, and the actual surface. Inflorescence typically a pseudolateral laxly branched or somewhat congested umbelliform dichasium to 2 cm long, the axis obscured by the dense setose indument of spreading smooth hairs 4-6.5 mm long like that of the hypanthia and calyx teeth. Flowers 5-merous on minutely glandular pedicels 2-3 mm long, the persistent bracteoles subulate to linear-oblong, glabrous to sparsely short-setose 2.5-4 x 0.25-0.5 mm long (including the apical hair). Hypanthia (at anthesis) narrowly campanulate, sparsely setose, the actual surface sparingly glandular to mostly glabrous. Calyx lobes 1 x 1-2 mm, ovate to oblong or rounded-triangular, exterior calyx teeth linear to subulate, 4-5.5 mm long (including apical hair). Petals glabrous, white, oblong to oblong-obovate, 5-6 x 1-1.5 mm. Filaments 3 mm long; anthers 2-3 mm long, yellow with a dorsally inclined pore; connective somewhat thickened dorsally and prolonged ca. 0.1 mm below the anther sacs but unappendaged. Ovary 5-locular, completely inferior, apex elevated into a low deciduously glandular-puberulent crateriform collar that flattens out into a low circular ridge on maturing berries; berry blue when ripe, 4 x 4 mm when dry. Seeds 0.5 mm long, the testa densely tuberculate.
Habitat and Distribution: Local and uncommon in low rain forests. 0-800 m. COSTA RICA (Aguilar 544, INB); PANAMA (de Nevers et al. 5245, CAS). (Endemic)
Taxonomy and Systematics: Clidemia taurina is very similar to C. myrmecina in foliar venation, indument details and floral and fruit characters. These two species may ultimately prove to be conspecific when field studies can be conducted to evaluate variation. The scrotiform formicaria produced at the petiole apex appear to be the only consistent diagnostic feature separating C. taurina from C. myrmecina. The latter has elongate formicaria that occupy a small portion of the blade base and 2/3 to ¾ of the petiole below the blade. The inflorescence of C. taurina also appears to be less congested than that of C. myrmecina but much of the material available for study is too fragmentary and incomplete to make a definitive judgment on the extent of morphological variation at this time.
Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]