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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Amer. J. Bot. 19: 746. 1932

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Isotype -- O. Buchtien
Specimen 2: Isotype -- O. Buchtien

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: Bolivia. La Paz: San Carlos, near Mapiri, Buchtien 976 (holotype NY; isotype K, NY, US).

Description: Shrub, to 0.5-2.0 m tall. Stems with a mix of sessile clavate glands up to 0.3 mm long and glandular trichomes, the trichomes 2.0-3.5 mm long, caducous, the nodes glabrous. Petioles 0.5-3.0 cm long, pubescence as in the stems. Leaves anisophyllous, elliptic-oblong, the larger ones (12-) 15-25 x (4.5-) 7.0-11.5 cm, the smaller ones, ½ to 1/3 of the size, apex shortly acuminate, base broadly acute to obtuse, adaxial surface glabrous to sparsely adpressed setose, abaxial surface the primary veins with a mix of short clavate glands and sparse glandular trichomes 2 mm long, the secondary and tertiary veins fine setose, but the surface glabrous, light green, with 1 pair of secondary veins, basally nervate, membranaceous, entire to obscurely undulate-serrulate, glandular ciliate; domatia present, often absent in the small leaf of each pair, free from the leaf blade, ovoid, 0.8-2.5 x 0.5-1.2 cm. Inflorescence a panicle, terminal but quickly becoming axillary by overgrowth of the lateral meristem, ocassionally axillary at the base of the younger leaves, of 3-7 (-12) flowers, 3-9 cm long, the axis flattened. Flowers on pedicels 1.0-2.0 mm long, flared at the apex, subtended by caducous bracts, lanceolate, 1-2 x 0.2 mm; hypanthium campanulate, 5.0-6.5 mm long, with a mix of sparse glandular trichomes and sessile glands; the calyx in bud 7-8 mm long, including a 2 mm beak at the apex, dehiscing irregularly at anthesis 2-3 mm above the torus; the ring inside the torus glabrous. Petals 6, obovate, 10-11 x 5-7 mm, base truncate to obtuse, emarginate, smooth, glabrous, white. Stamens pleiostemonous (13 or 14 rarely 15), all of the same size, the filaments 6.0-6.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow; the connective with out a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 4.0-4.5 mm long, opening by a ventrally inclined pore. Ovary 6-locular, 4/5-9/10 inferior, the superior portion terete, the apex with a glabrous ring, 0.5-0.7 mm tall; style sparsely glandular setose at the base, 11-13 mm long; stigma capitate, 1.5-2.0 mm wide. Fruits urceolarte, the persistent portion of the calyx reflexed, 6.0-7.5 mm long, black, sparsely glandular to glabrous. The seeds not evident through the pericarp, truncate-obovate, 0.5-0.7 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, with sculpturing, anticlinal walls s-shaped, periclinal walls flat, boundaries between periclinal walls flat. Chromosome number n= unknown.

Habitat and Distribution: Peru and Bolivia. Growing in primary forests in the foothills of the Andes from 200 to 800 m.

Phenology: Flowering between September and March.

Taxonomy and Systematics: Tococa carolensis has several unique characteristics that make its generic placement difficult, and it seems it was placed in Tococa by Gleason based solely on the presence of domatia and the pubescence. Tococa carolensis lacks the anther connective tooth and it has 6-merous flowers, this last character is otherwise only seen in T. macrosperma. It also has 13-14 stamens, making it pleiostemous, a character not found in Tococa sensu stricto. Perhaps the most striking characteristic of this species is the presence of a circumscissile calyx, also a characteristic not seen in any other species of Tococa. Other genera of Miconieae such as Conostegia and some species of Miconia also have a calyptrate calyx. However, the point at which the calyx dehisces in T. carolensis is different than in Conostegia and the character does not seem to be homologous in these two cases (Michelangeli, 2000a). For a more detailed discussion on the systematic position of T. carolensis see the section on phylogenetic relationships of Michelangeli 2005.

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Tococa carolensis Gleason: [Article] Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2005. (Melastomataceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 98: 1-114.