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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: Brazil? or Surinam?, Cliffort Herb. s.n. (BM).

Description: Shrub or small tree (2-)4-10(-15) m tall, the branchlets and abaxial leaf surfaces covered with an amorphous densely packed or matted indument of indiscrete hairs. Leaf blades 5-plinerved, ovate-elliptic to oblong-elliptic, (8.3-)12-25 X 4.2-12.5 cm, adaxially glabrous or sparsely and caducously stellulate puberulous, apex abruptly short-acuminate, base broadly acute to somewhat rounded, the margin entire to inconspicuously undulate; petioles (1-)2-3 cm long. Panicle 3-11 cm long, the subsessile 6-merous flowers glomerate on ultimate inflorescence branches, the caducous bracts lanceolate to ovate, 3-5 mm. Hypanthium densely covered with tan or brownish stellate indument at anthesis but becoming glabrous in fruit, the deciduous oblong calyx lobes ca. 3 mm long, the triangular adnate exterior calyx teeth projecting ca. 1 mm. Petals sparsely and caducously stellulate-puberulous abaxially, obovate-oblong, 7-8 X 3-4 mm. Anthers somewhat anisomorphic, subulate, 6-8 mm long, purple, the pores ventrally (large stamens) or dorsally (small stamens) inclined; connective slightly thickened into a small spur dorso-basally and somewhat bilobulate ventro-basally. Style sparsely to moderately glandular-puberulent, 10-11 mm long; stigma somewhat truncate, not expanded; ovary typically 4-locular, 1/4 inferior, apex elevated into a low dome with a shallow symmetrical depression at the stylar scar; berry 9-10 X 9-10 mm, yellow turning black at maturity. Seeds ovoid, densely tuberculate, 1.5-2 mm long.

Habitat and Distribution: Rain forest, low cloud forest, pine forest, semideciduous forest. 0-650(-1150) m. Trinidad, all the Guianas, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia to SE Brazil. MEXICO: Chiapas (Matuda 3613, DS); BELIZE (Gentle 8189, CAS); GUATEMALA (Lundell & Contreras 19493, CAS); NICARAGUA (Proctor et al. 26971, US); COSTA RICA (Skutch 5061, CAS); PANAMA (Correa & Montenegro 10104, CAS).

Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Miconia holosericea (L.) DC.: [Article] Maguire, Bassett, et al. 1953. The Botany of the Guayana Highland. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (2): 87-160.