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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: Costa Rica, Pittier 11059 (US!).

Description: Shrubs or small trees 2-7 m tall, the young branchlets, elevated primary leaf veins abaxially, and inflorescences covered with a dense brown deciduous tomentum of inconspicuous stellulate-lepidote hairs. Leaves 3-5-plinerved, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 10.4-30 X 4.4-12 cm, adaxially glabrous, abaxially sparsely stellulate-lepidote, apex shortly caudate-acuminate, base acute, the margin bluntly denticulate; petioles 1-4.5 cm long. Panicle 15-20 cm long, the 5-merous flowers on pedicels 0.25-0.5 mm long, the deciduous bracteoles subulate to setiform, 0.5 mm long. Hypanthia moderately stellulate-puberulent, conspicuously constricted abaxially the torus; calyx tube 0.5 mm long, moderately stellulate-puberulent within, the ovate-deltoid lobes 0.5-0.75 mm long, the exterior teeth 0.25 mm long, inserted on the rim-like calyx tube and not projecting beyond the lobes. Petals oblong to elliptic-oblong, distally papillate on both surfaces, 2-3.5 X 1-1.5 mm. Stamens somewhat unequal; anthers oblong-subulate, alternately 2-2.5 and 2.5-3 mm long, white, the larger with a dorsally inclined pore, the smaller with a truncate pore; connective not prolonged but dorso-basally dilated and ventrally bilobulate. Style glabrous, 6-7 mm long; stigma capitellate; ovary 5-locular, 4/5 inferior, apex fluted and elevated into a pruinose or papillose lobulate collar, berry 5-6 X 5-6 mm, purple-black at maturity. Seeds pyramidate to ovoid, obscurely muriculate, 0.5 mm long.

Habitat and Distribution: Local and uncommon, cloud forest, gallery forest. 650-1600 m. Colombia, south to Ecuador and Peru. MEXICO: Chiapas (Breedlove & Almeda 57576, CAS); BELIZE (Hawkins 1404, CAS); GUATEMALA (Contreras 4782, DS); HONDURAS (Molina, 1975:84); NICARAGUA (Grijalva & Araquistain 231, CAS); COSTA RICA (Utley 5849, CAS); PANAMA (Almeda et al. 6089, CAS).

Taxonomy and Systematics: The petals of this species, often described as yellow, are actually white but turn yellow when dry.

Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Miconia nutans Donn.Sm.: [Article] Wurdack, John J. 1967. Plants collected in Ecuador by W. H. Camp. Melastomataceae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 16: 1-45.