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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Fl. Bras. (Martius) 14(4): 615. 1888

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Common Names:

Pucacuru-caspi

Description:

Description Author and Date: Fabian A. Michelangeli, January 2010, based on Michelangeli, F. A. (2005). Tococa (Melastomataceae). Flora Neotropica Monographs 98: 1-114.

Type: Brazil. Amazonas: ad Januaria secus Río Purus, Trail 288 (lectotype K, designated by Michelangeli (2001a), [photo at F, negative 94-2]; isolectotype BR).

Description: Erect non-branching shrub or slender small tree, to 4 m tall. Stems densely hirsute, the trichomes 2.5 mm long, mostly non-glandular, persistent, the nodes glabrous. Petioles 0.3-1.5 cm long, densely hirsute. Leaves isophyllous, oblong-lanceolate, (7-) 11-27 (-33) x (4-) 7-9 cm, apex abruptly acuminate to shortly caudate or aristate, base attenuate, round to cordate, the sinus up to 5 mm long, adaxial surface hirsute, the trichomes non-glandular and slightly adpressed, abaxial surface sparsely hirsute, densely setose on the primary and secondary veins, the trichomes becoming denser toward the convergence of the first pairs of secondary veins and the primary vein, light green, with 2-3 pairs of secondary veins, plinervate, membranaceous, densely ciliolate-serrulate to crenulate; domatia immersed in the leaf blade with the base of the leaf blade attached to the adaxial surface of the domatium, ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 0.5-1.8 cm x 0.4-1.7 cm. Inflorescence a terminal strongly condensed raceme, often resembling a capitulum, of 12-25 flowers. Flowers on sessile, subtended by persistent bracts, highly variable in shape from deltoid to lanceolate, 1.0-4.5 x 0.3-4 mm, ciliate, the adaxial surface with small sessile glands, the abaxial surface glabrous; hypanthium campanulate, 5.0-6.0 mm long, glabrous; sepals deltoid to round, fused at the base, 3.0 mm long, membranaceous, calyx teeth reduced to a subulate tooth, glandular setose, 2.0 mm long; the ring inside the torus glabrous. Petals 5, obovate, 6-7 x 4.5-5.5 mm, base slightly attenuate, emarginate, smooth, glabrous, purple to pink or lila. Stamens all of the same size, the filaments 4.0-4.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers blue to lila (yellow and brown on dried specimens); the connective without a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 5.5-6.0 mm long, opening by a ventrally inclined pore. Ovary 3-locular, 2/3-4/5 inferior, the superior portion slightly conical, the apex with a collar composed of 10 setae up to 1.2 mm long, terminated on a triangular head; style glabrous, 7.5-9.0 mm long; stigma capitate, 1.5 mm wide (appearing funneliform when dry). Fruits urceolate, 10-13 mm long, blue, sparsely glandular setose. The seeds not evident through the pericarp, narrowly ovate, 1.0-2.0 mm long, with capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls flat, boundaries between periclinal walls flat. Chromosome number n= unknown.

Habitat and Distribution: From S Colombia to Peru and W Brazil. Growing in flooded and gallery forest along streams and rivers in the upper Amazon Basin, up to 300 m.

Phenology: Flowering early in the rainy season, fruiting late in the rainy season; since this species is distributed on both sides of the Equator, the flowering and fruiting seasons differ between localities on different hemispheres.

Ecology: The domatia of T. capitata are often inhabited by ants of the genus Azteca, which cut trails along the dense trichomes of the petioles and stems. Additionally, these Azteca ants build carton tunnels using the trichomes as pillars. The ants use these tunnels to move along the plant.

Taxonomy and Systematics: Tococa capitata is readily distinguished from all other species of Tococa by the combination of capituliform inflorescences, blue anthers and the domatia immersed in the leaf blade. Tococa capitata is closely related to the remaining species of Tococa that have blue fruits and pubescent seeds; T. caudata, T. cordata, T. coronata, T. lancifolia and T. subciliata. In this group, T. capitata is probably more closely related to T. cordata, which shares with it the developed membranaceous inner sepals. Tococa capitata is one of the few species of Tococa sensu stricto that lack a dorsal basal tooth on the anther connective. In every other aspect of morphology, the anthers are identical to the rest of Tococa sensu stricto. Under excluded and invalid taxa, see note on T. bracteata.

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Tococa capitata Traill ex Cogn.: [Article] Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2005. (Melastomataceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 98: 1-114.