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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.

Type: Holotype: Panama, Allen 2702 (NY!).

Description: Shrubs or trees (1.5-)4-9 m tall, the young branchlets, petioles, primary leaf veins abaxially, and inflorescences with a moderately to densely brown scurfy indument of dendritic or pinoid hairs. Leaves 5-plinerved, elliptic, 12-28 X 4-9 cm, adaxially sparsely scurfy-pulverulent to glabrate, abaxially moderately and deciduously scurfy-pulverulent on the secondary and higher order veins, apex attenuate to long-acuminate, base gradually tapering and decurrent on the petiole, the margin entire to undulate; petioles 0.7-2.5 cm long. Panicle 4-11.5 cm long; flowers 5-merous on pedicels 0.5-2 mm long, the persistent subulate bracteoles 0.5-0.75 mm long, fused laterally to form a nodal ridge or shallow collar. Hypanthia deciduously scurfy-pulverulent; calyx lobes depressed-triangular to undulate, 0.5 mm long but concealed and barely exceeded by the exterior subulate teeth. Petals glabrous, linear-oblong, 2.5-3.5 X 1 mm. Stamens isomorphic; anthers oblong, 1-1.25 mm long, yellow, the pore somewhat dorsally inclined; connective neither prolonged nor appendaged. Style glabrous, 3-4 mm long; stigma truncate; ovary 5-locular, 3/4-4/5 inferior; berry 2-4 X 3-4 mm, blue-purple at maturity. Seeds pyramidate and smooth with obscurely verruculose angles, 0.5 mm long.

Habitat and Distribution: Locally common, rain forest, swamp margins. 0-1100 m. Colombia and Venezuela (Zulia). NICARAGUA (Grijalva 440, CAS); COSTA RICA (Stevens & Montiel 24356, CAS); PANAMA (Knapp & Dressler 3506, CAS).

Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]