Taxon Details: Miconia atropurpurea Gamba & Almeda
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Family:
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:
Miconia atropurpurea Gamba & Almeda
Miconia atropurpurea Gamba & Almeda
Primary Citation:
Systematics of the octopleura clade of Miconia (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) in tropical America
Phytotaxa 179: 1--174. 2014
Systematics of the octopleura clade of Miconia (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) in tropical America
Phytotaxa 179: 1--174. 2014
Accepted Name:
This name is currently accepted.
This name is currently accepted.
Description:
Description Author and Date: Diana Gamba & Frank Almeda, modified from "Systematics of the Octopleura Clade of Miconia (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) in Tropical America". Gamba, D., Almeda, F. Phytotaxa 179(1): 1-174.
Type: ECUADOR (In Peruviâ). Guayaquil (In Huayaquil), 1899, Tafalla s.n. (not Pavón s.n.) (holotype: BM; isotypes: F-internet image!, MA).
Description: Suffrutescent diffusely branched herb or shrub 0.5–4 m tall. Upper internodes [3.1–7.1(–9.3) cm long] and cauline nodes terete, nodal line absent. Indumentum on branchlets, petioles, primary, secondary, tertiary and higher order veins abaxially, inflorescence axes, pedicels, bracts, bracteoles, hypanthia, calyx lobes abaxially, and exterior calyx teeth densely to moderately composed of brownish sessile or thinly stipitate dendritic trichomes 0.1–0.2 mm long with short axes and few-moderate number of terete arms, typically copiously to sparsely intermixed with elongate smooth trichomes 1–3 mm long occasionally early caducous. Leaves of each pair notably anisophyllous in size (ca. 1:2), some pairs more or less isophyllous; the petiole 0.4–2 cm long, canaliculate adaxially and shallowly to moderately grooved abaxially; larger blades 10–14(–22) × 5–7 cm, smaller blades 4–7 × 2.5–3.5 cm, elliptic to elliptic-ovate, the base broadly acute to obtuse and slightly oblique, the margin ciliate (cilia to 1 mm) or eciliate, distantly undulate-serrulate, the apex short-acuminate to acuminate, membranaceous; mature leaves adaxially sparsely strigose with red-pink elongate smooth trichomes 1.5–3 mm long or glabrous, the primary, secondary, tertiary and higher order veins glabrous; abaxial surface typically flushed red-purple, sparsely strigillose with red-pink elongate smooth trichomes 0.5–1 mm long to glabrescent, the tertiary and higher order veins glabrescent; 5- or 7-nerved to 5- or 7-plinerved, including the tenuous marginals, innermost pair of secondary veins separating asymmetrically from the primary vein at ca. 0.3 cm above the base, areolae 0.5–1 mm, adaxially the primary and secondary veins impressed, the tertiary and higher order veins flat, abaxially the primary and secondary veins elevated and terete, the tertiary and higher order veins flat. Inflorescences a pseudolateral group of few-flowered modified dichasia 2–3 cm long, sessile or including a peduncle to 0.25 cm long, branching poorly developed with two to three paracladia from a short axis, borne on the upper foliar nodes; bracts 0.2–0.4 × 0.25 mm, bracteoles 0.3–0.5 × 0.25 mm, minute, lanceolate and shortly aristate at the apex, commonly early deciduous at anthesis. Flowers 5-merous, subsessile or on pedicels 0.3–0.4 mm long. Hypanthia at anthesis 2.9–3.2 × 1.5–1.7 mm, free portion of hypanthium 1.7–2 mm long, suburceolate, bluntly 10-ribbed, red to purple, the dendritic trichomes sparse and early caducous, the elongate smooth trichomes 1–1.3 mm long persistent and spreading, ridged on the inner surface, along with the torus minutely and densely glandular adaxially, the glands rounded and sessile, the torus (adaxially) rarely glabrous. Calyx open in bud and persistent in fruit; tube ca. 0.2 mm long, with the same vestiture as the torus adaxially and as the hypanthia abaxially; lobes 0.3–0.5 × ca. 1 mm, oblate, the margin vaguely undulate, the apex obtuse, copiously papillose adaxially; exterior calyx teeth 0.1–0.15 mm long, minute, bluntly conic and aristate, inserted at the basal half of the calyx lobes and not projecting beyond them. Petals 1.3–1.6(–1.8) × 1.2–1.5 mm, broadly obovate to suborbicular, the margin entire, the apex obtuse to slightly truncate, white, densely papillose on both surfaces, reflexed at anthesis. Stamens 10; filaments 1.5–2 × 0.25 mm, white, glabrous; anther thecae 1.5–1.8 × 0.4–0.5 mm, linear-oblong and moderately subulate, obtuse at the apex, opening by one dorsally inclined pore 0.1 mm in diameter, cream to light yellow at anthesis; connective yellow, its prolongation and appendage 0.25–0.35 mm long, the appendage orbicular, obtuse at the apex, moderately gland-edged and sparsely beset with minute sessile rounded glands also present throughout the connective. Ovary 5-locular, completely inferior, 1.2–1.5 mm long at anthesis, the apical collar absent, the apex 0.35 mm in diameter, truncate to slightly depressed, densely glandular-puberulent; style 3.5–4 mm long, narrowed distally (i.e. tapering), white, glabrous; stigma truncate to expanded truncate when dry. Berries 4.11–4.4 × 4.24–4.9 mm when dry, globose and somewhat oblate, initially red, turning red-purple and ultimately blue when ripe, the hypanthial indumentum somewhat persistent at maturity. Seeds 0.33–0.57 × 0.17–0.19 mm, ovoid, angled, light-brown; lateral and antiraphal symmetrical planes ovate, the highest point toward the chalazal side; raphal zone suboblong, ca. 60–70% larger than the corpus of the seed, extending along its entire length, ventrally and longitudinally expanded, occasionally also expanding along the chalazal side beyond the highest point of the seed, dark-brown; individual cells elongate, anticlinal boundaries inconspicuous; periclinal walls flat, microrelief punctate.
Habitat and Distribution: Uncommon to occasional in coastal to montane primary and secondary rain forests, in deep shade and along creeks, along the Pacific Andean slope of Colombia and Ecuador, at 50–1300 m.
Phenology: Collected in flower from December through April, and from August through October; in fruit from November through May, and from July through September.
Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the dark purple color present throughout this species (indumentum, hypanthium, leaves abaxially, and berries).
Taxonomy and Systematics: Miconia atropurpurea, although distinct, is often difficult to distinguish from its close relatives. This is reflected in the fact that most of the specimens of this species have been determined as Clidemia cf. or aff. purpurea, or confused with M. quinquenervia or M. reitziana. The latter species has distinctive leaf bases decurrent on the petiole. Although M. atropurpurea is sister to M. neocoronata on the basis of molecular data, M. atropurpurea and M. reitziana are convergent in their dense vegetative pubescence of pink-red smooth trichomes that are present on both foliar surfaces and hypanthia, and in their inflorescence architecture (groups of modified dichasia). The material from Colombia is the most difficult to interpret, where the two species (M. atropurpureaand M. reitziana) co-occur in the department of Chocó, and are very similar vegetatively (variation in leaf shape and slight to moderate anisophylly), as well as in hypanthium and calyx color at anthesis and maturity (red or pink). However M. atropurpurea has a slightly wider hypanthium at the torus level (1.5–1.7 mm vs. 1–1.2 mm), which is suburceolate to campanulate (vs. subcylindric to campanulate). More importantly, M. atropurpurea lacks the characteristic hypanthial resinous-glandular vestiture present in M. reitziana. In the former it consists of rusty-asperous and elongate trichomes. It also lacks the densely to sparsely ciliate torus (vs. sessile-glandular to glabrous). On the other hand, the elongate smooth trichomes in M. atropurpurea seem to be very variable in quantity and location as noted by Wurdack (1980). We agree with Wurdack (1980) who considered Clidemia cyanocarpa and C. haughtii to be conspecific with M. atropurpurea. However, indumentum details (especially of the hypanthia and torus) of these two named species will need to be examined when better topotypical material becomes available for study.
Conservation Status: Endangered EN B2ab(iii). In Colombia it is protected in Farallones National Park (Valle). In Ecuador it is protected in the Río Palenque Private Reserve (Los Ríos), in the Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve (Esmeraldas), and may also be in the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve. Considered Vulnerable is previous assessments due to a geographical range that is apparently smaller than 20000 km² (but AOO =500 km2from this study) and to massive alteration of its habitat over the last 50 years. Apart from habitat destruction, no specific threats are known (Cotton & Pitman 2004).
Description Author and Date: Diana Gamba & Frank Almeda, modified from "Systematics of the Octopleura Clade of Miconia (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) in Tropical America". Gamba, D., Almeda, F. Phytotaxa 179(1): 1-174.
Type: ECUADOR (In Peruviâ). Guayaquil (In Huayaquil), 1899, Tafalla s.n. (not Pavón s.n.) (holotype: BM; isotypes: F-internet image!, MA).
Description: Suffrutescent diffusely branched herb or shrub 0.5–4 m tall. Upper internodes [3.1–7.1(–9.3) cm long] and cauline nodes terete, nodal line absent. Indumentum on branchlets, petioles, primary, secondary, tertiary and higher order veins abaxially, inflorescence axes, pedicels, bracts, bracteoles, hypanthia, calyx lobes abaxially, and exterior calyx teeth densely to moderately composed of brownish sessile or thinly stipitate dendritic trichomes 0.1–0.2 mm long with short axes and few-moderate number of terete arms, typically copiously to sparsely intermixed with elongate smooth trichomes 1–3 mm long occasionally early caducous. Leaves of each pair notably anisophyllous in size (ca. 1:2), some pairs more or less isophyllous; the petiole 0.4–2 cm long, canaliculate adaxially and shallowly to moderately grooved abaxially; larger blades 10–14(–22) × 5–7 cm, smaller blades 4–7 × 2.5–3.5 cm, elliptic to elliptic-ovate, the base broadly acute to obtuse and slightly oblique, the margin ciliate (cilia to 1 mm) or eciliate, distantly undulate-serrulate, the apex short-acuminate to acuminate, membranaceous; mature leaves adaxially sparsely strigose with red-pink elongate smooth trichomes 1.5–3 mm long or glabrous, the primary, secondary, tertiary and higher order veins glabrous; abaxial surface typically flushed red-purple, sparsely strigillose with red-pink elongate smooth trichomes 0.5–1 mm long to glabrescent, the tertiary and higher order veins glabrescent; 5- or 7-nerved to 5- or 7-plinerved, including the tenuous marginals, innermost pair of secondary veins separating asymmetrically from the primary vein at ca. 0.3 cm above the base, areolae 0.5–1 mm, adaxially the primary and secondary veins impressed, the tertiary and higher order veins flat, abaxially the primary and secondary veins elevated and terete, the tertiary and higher order veins flat. Inflorescences a pseudolateral group of few-flowered modified dichasia 2–3 cm long, sessile or including a peduncle to 0.25 cm long, branching poorly developed with two to three paracladia from a short axis, borne on the upper foliar nodes; bracts 0.2–0.4 × 0.25 mm, bracteoles 0.3–0.5 × 0.25 mm, minute, lanceolate and shortly aristate at the apex, commonly early deciduous at anthesis. Flowers 5-merous, subsessile or on pedicels 0.3–0.4 mm long. Hypanthia at anthesis 2.9–3.2 × 1.5–1.7 mm, free portion of hypanthium 1.7–2 mm long, suburceolate, bluntly 10-ribbed, red to purple, the dendritic trichomes sparse and early caducous, the elongate smooth trichomes 1–1.3 mm long persistent and spreading, ridged on the inner surface, along with the torus minutely and densely glandular adaxially, the glands rounded and sessile, the torus (adaxially) rarely glabrous. Calyx open in bud and persistent in fruit; tube ca. 0.2 mm long, with the same vestiture as the torus adaxially and as the hypanthia abaxially; lobes 0.3–0.5 × ca. 1 mm, oblate, the margin vaguely undulate, the apex obtuse, copiously papillose adaxially; exterior calyx teeth 0.1–0.15 mm long, minute, bluntly conic and aristate, inserted at the basal half of the calyx lobes and not projecting beyond them. Petals 1.3–1.6(–1.8) × 1.2–1.5 mm, broadly obovate to suborbicular, the margin entire, the apex obtuse to slightly truncate, white, densely papillose on both surfaces, reflexed at anthesis. Stamens 10; filaments 1.5–2 × 0.25 mm, white, glabrous; anther thecae 1.5–1.8 × 0.4–0.5 mm, linear-oblong and moderately subulate, obtuse at the apex, opening by one dorsally inclined pore 0.1 mm in diameter, cream to light yellow at anthesis; connective yellow, its prolongation and appendage 0.25–0.35 mm long, the appendage orbicular, obtuse at the apex, moderately gland-edged and sparsely beset with minute sessile rounded glands also present throughout the connective. Ovary 5-locular, completely inferior, 1.2–1.5 mm long at anthesis, the apical collar absent, the apex 0.35 mm in diameter, truncate to slightly depressed, densely glandular-puberulent; style 3.5–4 mm long, narrowed distally (i.e. tapering), white, glabrous; stigma truncate to expanded truncate when dry. Berries 4.11–4.4 × 4.24–4.9 mm when dry, globose and somewhat oblate, initially red, turning red-purple and ultimately blue when ripe, the hypanthial indumentum somewhat persistent at maturity. Seeds 0.33–0.57 × 0.17–0.19 mm, ovoid, angled, light-brown; lateral and antiraphal symmetrical planes ovate, the highest point toward the chalazal side; raphal zone suboblong, ca. 60–70% larger than the corpus of the seed, extending along its entire length, ventrally and longitudinally expanded, occasionally also expanding along the chalazal side beyond the highest point of the seed, dark-brown; individual cells elongate, anticlinal boundaries inconspicuous; periclinal walls flat, microrelief punctate.
Habitat and Distribution: Uncommon to occasional in coastal to montane primary and secondary rain forests, in deep shade and along creeks, along the Pacific Andean slope of Colombia and Ecuador, at 50–1300 m.
Phenology: Collected in flower from December through April, and from August through October; in fruit from November through May, and from July through September.
Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the dark purple color present throughout this species (indumentum, hypanthium, leaves abaxially, and berries).
Taxonomy and Systematics: Miconia atropurpurea, although distinct, is often difficult to distinguish from its close relatives. This is reflected in the fact that most of the specimens of this species have been determined as Clidemia cf. or aff. purpurea, or confused with M. quinquenervia or M. reitziana. The latter species has distinctive leaf bases decurrent on the petiole. Although M. atropurpurea is sister to M. neocoronata on the basis of molecular data, M. atropurpurea and M. reitziana are convergent in their dense vegetative pubescence of pink-red smooth trichomes that are present on both foliar surfaces and hypanthia, and in their inflorescence architecture (groups of modified dichasia). The material from Colombia is the most difficult to interpret, where the two species (M. atropurpureaand M. reitziana) co-occur in the department of Chocó, and are very similar vegetatively (variation in leaf shape and slight to moderate anisophylly), as well as in hypanthium and calyx color at anthesis and maturity (red or pink). However M. atropurpurea has a slightly wider hypanthium at the torus level (1.5–1.7 mm vs. 1–1.2 mm), which is suburceolate to campanulate (vs. subcylindric to campanulate). More importantly, M. atropurpurea lacks the characteristic hypanthial resinous-glandular vestiture present in M. reitziana. In the former it consists of rusty-asperous and elongate trichomes. It also lacks the densely to sparsely ciliate torus (vs. sessile-glandular to glabrous). On the other hand, the elongate smooth trichomes in M. atropurpurea seem to be very variable in quantity and location as noted by Wurdack (1980). We agree with Wurdack (1980) who considered Clidemia cyanocarpa and C. haughtii to be conspecific with M. atropurpurea. However, indumentum details (especially of the hypanthia and torus) of these two named species will need to be examined when better topotypical material becomes available for study.
Conservation Status: Endangered EN B2ab(iii). In Colombia it is protected in Farallones National Park (Valle). In Ecuador it is protected in the Río Palenque Private Reserve (Los Ríos), in the Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve (Esmeraldas), and may also be in the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological Reserve. Considered Vulnerable is previous assessments due to a geographical range that is apparently smaller than 20000 km² (but AOO =500 km2from this study) and to massive alteration of its habitat over the last 50 years. Apart from habitat destruction, no specific threats are known (Cotton & Pitman 2004).
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