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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Ark. Bot. 22A(17): 46. 1929

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Description:

Description Author and Date: Walter S. Judd, 2010, based on Judd, W. S. (2007). Revision of Miconia sect. Chaenopleura (Melastomataceae) in the Greater Antilles. Systematic Botany Monographs 81:1-235.

Type: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. [Prov. Samaná]: Samaná peninsula, upper slopes of Loma Atravesada, base of Punta Cabrón, 300-600 m alt., fl, 14 Dec 1923, W. L. Abbott 2923 (holotype: B, destroyed; isotypes: A!, BM!, GH!; the specimen at GH here selected as lectotype).

Description: Shrub or small tree to 5 m tall. Indumentum of multicellular, ferrugineous, stellate-branched to ± dendritic or elongate-branched hairs, these usually ± deciduous, minute-globular hairs, and often long-stalked, gland-headed hairs. Young twigs not ridged, ± square to rectangular in cross-section, 1-4.5 mm wide, becoming ± terete with age, the indumentum of sparse to moderate ± stellate-branched hairs and minute-globular hairs, these concentrated on two sides of the twig above point of leaf attachment (at adjacent lower node), often with a few long-stalked, gland-headed (or non-glandular) hairs, to 0.5-1.7 mm long, especially just above nodes, somewhat glabrescent; internodes 1.3-6.5 cm long. Leaves with petiole 3-22 mm long, the indumentum with sparse to dense stellate-branched and minute-globular hairs adaxially, sometimes also with a very few long-stalked, gland-headed hairs; blade 2.9-12 (-15) cm long, 0.9-3.6 (-4) cm wide, ovate to less commonly elliptic, V-folded and falcate (to nearly flat), coriaceous, the apex acuminate, the base acute to obtuse, the margin plane to slightly revolute, (serrate) serrulate, obscurely serrulate, or nearly entire, proximal 0-90% of margin entire, the largest teeth ± 0-0.2 (-0.3) mm long, usually not associated with long-stalked hairs, but leaves sometimes with an intramarginal row of such hairs, to 1.9-2.6 mm long, on adaxial surface and these often attached close to serrulations, especially toward leaf base; venation acrodromous, ± basal, with prominent midvein and 4 secondary veins, with 2 conspicuous secondary veins placed 1-5 mm in from margin and 2 inconspicuous secondary veins placed closer to margin, and numerous percurrent tertiary veins oriented subperpendicular to midvein, the tertiary veins usually separated by composite inter-tertiary veins, but sometimes connected by a few quaternary veins, and the higher order veins orthogonal-reticulate; adaxial surface green (occasionally slightly yellowish when dried), initially with a few stellate-branched hairs but these very quickly glabrescent, with stellate-branched and minute-globular hairs ± persisting on midvein, especially proximal portion, and sometimes with a very few long-stalked, gland-headed to non-glandular hairs, these ± deciduous, the midvein and major secondary veins strongly to only slightly impressed, minor secondary veins ± flat, tertiary veins slightly impressed to flat, and higher order veins flat, the surface with numerous druse crystals and thus appearing minutely papillose when dried; abaxial surface pale green with reddish veins to pink or red throughout, sparsely to densely covered with minute-globular hairs, often with a few ± deciduous, stellate-branched hairs, to 0.2-0.3 mm, mainly on midvein and secondary veins, especially when young, and often with a very few long-stalked, gland-headed hairs on midvein, the midvein prominently raised, major secondary veins prominently to slightly raised, minor secondary veins very slightly raised to flat, tertiary and higher order veins ± flat.

Description (cont.): Inflorescences many-flowered, paniculate to elongate-paniculate cymes of 3-6 branch-pairs, 4-22.5 cm long, 2.5-6.3 cm across; proximal segment of lowermost inflorescence branches 0.9-3 cm long, distal internodes of branches shorter, ultimate branches (0-) 1-7 mm long, and flowers thus well separated from each other (only terminal flower of dichasium ever sessile), with very sparse to moderate, stellate-branched and minute-globular hairs, these concentrated on two sides of the axis above point of bract attachment (at adjacent lower node), and usually with a few ± dendritic to elongate-branched hairs at nodes, sometimes with a very few long-stalked, gland-headed hairs, sometimes glabrous or nearly so with age; peduncle (1.5-) 2-6.6 cm long, with similar indumentum; each inflorescence branch associated with caducous to tardily deciduous, obovate to ovate bract, 4.5-14 (-18) mm long, 1.5-3 (-6) mm wide, the apices acute to obtuse, the lowermost pair often leaf-like; flowers in dichasia, well separated from each other, each subtended by 2 deciduous to tardily deciduous, obovate to ovate bracteoles, 2.7-9 mm long, 1.1-3.2 mm wide, the indumentum similar to that of leaves, their apices acute to obtuse; bracts and bracteoles red, usually still present toward inflorescence apex when lower flowers are blooming. Flowers sessile to shortly pedicellate; pedicel ± 0-1 mm. Hypanthium cylindrical, free portion 1.3-2.2 mm long, the outer surface glabrous or with very sparse minute-globular hairs, the inner surface glabrous and strongly 20-ridged, with 10 major ridges alternating with 10 minor ridges, the apices of the ridges usually lacking apical projections. External calyx lobes 5, 0.15-0.4 mm long, 1.4-2.3 mm wide, broadly triangular to nearly obsolete, with obtuse to slightly acuminate apex, with indumentum similar to that of hypanthium; internal calyx lobes 5, 0.4-1 mm long, 1.4-2.2 mm wide, broadly triangular to ovate-triangular, green to red, ± glabrous or with a few minute-globular hairs (and conspicuously pubescent adaxially), the apex rounded (obtuse), the margin entire and fringed with a few short, papillae-like to ± glandular hairs; calyx tube 0.3-0.5 mm long. Petals 5, 2.9-4.1 mm long, 2.5-3.3 mm wide, broadly ovate to elliptic, glabrous, white or white with pink tinge toward apex, to pink or rose throughout; margin entire. Stamens 10, geniculate; proximal segment 1.4-2.1 mm long, distal segment 2.7-3.8 mm long, with minute dorsal bump, the anther 1.9-2.9 mm long, with fertile portion of anther sacs 1.3-2 mm long, the connective/distal part of filament extended 0.7-1 mm beyond the base of anther sacs. Ovary 3- to 5-locular, 1/2-2/3-inferior, 2.4-3.8 mm long, 2.7-3.8 mm in diameter, subglobose to obovoid, apically glabrous, slightly to clearly 10-ridged, with slightly lobed apical projection to 0.15-0.2 mm encircling base of style; style 3.1-4 mm long, glabrous; stigma truncate. Berries 5-7 mm long, 6-9 mm in diameter, subglobose to globose, red when immature, and turning purple, and eventually pale blue, glabrous. Seeds 0.75-1 mm long, angular-obovoid; testa ± smooth to minutely roughened. Figs. 31, 32.

Habitat and Distribution: Hispaniola (Dominican Republic), Cordillera Central and the Sierra de Septentrional (including the Península de Samaná); moist forests on limestone, cloud forests, and forests of Pinus occidentalis; 200-950 (-1850) m. Associated melastomes include Clidemia umbellata, Mecranium amygdalinum (Desr.) C. Wright, Miconia laevigata, M. mirabilis, M. prasina, and Tetrazygia bicolor (Mill.) Cogn. See also Hager (1990) and Lorenzo et al. (1997) for some associated species.

Phenology: Flowering throughout the year.

Taxonomy and Systematics: Miconia samanensis is most closely related to M. krugii and M. stenobotrys, two other members of the falcate-leaved clade (see discussion under M. quadrangularis and M. krugii). The characters best distinguishing M. samanensis from M. krugii are outlined under the latter species (see above). Miconia samanensis can be readily distinguished from M. stenobotrys by the lack of U-shaped flanges on its twigs (vs. these often present), the lack of pouch-domatia in the axils of the midvein and secondary veins, the inflorescences with primary axis having 3-6 major branch pairs, and these cymose (vs. primary axis with 3-13 branch pairs, and each of these raceme-like), the inner hypanthial surface 20-ridged (vs. slightly 10-ridged). The leaves of M. samanensis are also more frequently red-tinged. This relationship was also apparent to Urban and Ekman (1931) who compared M. bifaria (a synonym of M. samanensis) with M. artibonitensis (a synonym of M. stenobotrys). It is ecologically isolated from M. krugii, but likely geographically isolated from M. stenobotrys (see discussion under the latter). Miconia samanensis is variable in leaf size, extent of V-folding of the lamina, placement of major secondary veins in relation to the leaf margin, and degree of red pigmentation on the abaxial leaf surface. Although the development of composite intertertiary veins is characteristic, some plants have leaves with some percurrent quaternary veins connecting the tertiaries. Finally, some plants have long-stalked gland-headed hairs while others lack them. The increase in number of collections since the work of Urban and Ekman allow an accurate assessment of the pattern of variation, supporting the inclusion of M. bifaria within M. samanensis. A couple collections from Monte Gallo, i.e., in Prov. Santiago, ca 1000 m, Ekman H12895 (NY, US), are aberrant in having leaves, inflorescence axes, and hypanthia with scattered ferrugineous stellate hairs, but these collections match M. samanensis better than any other species, and are tentatively placed here. Urban and Ekman (1931) considered them to be a form of M. artibonitensis (= M. stenobotrys).