Monographs Details:
Authority:
Morley, Thomas. 1976. Melastomataceae tribe Memecyleae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 15: 1-295. (Published by NYBG Press)
Morley, Thomas. 1976. Melastomataceae tribe Memecyleae. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 15: 1-295. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Melastomataceae
Melastomataceae
Description:
Description - Shrub or tree, usually small, sometimes to 15 m high with a trunk to 25 cm in diam, unbuttressed, glabrous except for the inflorescence; young twigs terete in the adult, 4-winged in the seedling; bark grayish to grayish brown, rather smooth; wood very hard and heavy, uniformly lustrous. Petioles 1.5-5.0 mm long; blades dark green, 6.0-15.5 cm long, 2.3-6.5(-8.2) cm wide, elliptic to ovate-elliptic or seldom oblong-ovate or ovate, acuminate to caudate or usually abruptly so at the apex, acute to rounded at base; midrib, lateral, and marginal nerves grooved above, prominent below, the midrib sharply 2-angled for its length below or rounded in the lower 1/6. Xylem of lateral veins open above; stomata scattered and also grouped in clusters of 2-6, the clusters 15-40(-60) µ in diam, 0-100 per sq mm, flush with the surface or set in shallow pits up to 11 µ high; hypodermis none; mucilage walls none; free stone cells present only in base of petiole; terminal sclereids round to rectangular with few to several short arms, the body l-2(-3) times as long as wide, occasionally short-branched, the arms often narrow, curved, and blunt, lateral ones infrequent to common, vertical ones common, sometimes the whole sclereid columnar. Flowers 1-5 in the leaf axils and at each side of leafless nodes of twigs up to 2.5 mm thick, 1 per peduncle; peduncles 2.0-4.0 mm long with 2-5(-6) internodes, bearing 2-5(-6) pairs of bracts, the lowest pair sometimes basal; bracts 1.0-2.0 mm long, broadly ovate to triangular, connate-perfoliate, the upper ones broader, roundish at apex or with a small apiculum or cusp, the lower ones progressively smaller and more acute, sometimes also with a small cusp, all present at anthesis, often the upper 1 or 2 pairs persistent in fruit. Bracts and calyx glabrous or seldom their upper parts minutely puberulent. Flowers sessile, the true pedicel 0; calyx including inferior ovary greenish, 2.6-3.8 mm long, obconic to slightly campanulate; inflorescence glabrous or seldom the upper parts of bracts and calyx papillose; free hypanthium ca 1.1 mm long; calyx lobes triangular, 0.6-1.2 mm long, 1.0-2.0 mm wide, 0.9-1.6 mm long when measured from stamen attachment, the calyx splitting between the lobes at anthesis for a distance of 0-0.4 mm. Petals yellow to yellow-orange, ovate-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, acute, 3.2-5.0 mm long, 1.5-2.4 mm wide. Filaments yellow, the antesepalous ones ca 3.0-5.0 mm long, the antepetalous ones ca 3.5-5.5 mm long; anthers yellow or yellow-orange, 2.3-3.7 mm long; sporangia 1.0-1.7 mm long, dehiscing by apical slits; gland 0.3-0.7 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm from apex of anther when measured from center of gland; cauda ca 0.9-1.4 mm long. Ovary 1-locular; ovules free-central, all at same level, ca 8; style 7.0-10.0 mm long. Fruit orange, depressed-globose, with 7-10 grooves extending 1/3 to all the way down the sides from the apex, usually crowned with the persistent calyx, 9.0-12.5 mm high excluding calyx and 11.0-16.5 mm thick when dry, estimated 10.5-15.0 mm high and 13.0-20.0 mm thick when fresh. Seed 1, ellipsoid, ca 11-12 mm high, 13-14 mm wide, 9-10 mm thick, the hardened area which represents the outer face of the ovule slightly roughened or fibrous, not polished, subelliptic, ca 4.0 mm high, 2.2 mm wide, tapering at base into a narrow groove leading to the micropyle; rest of surface of seed rugulose or with small bumps and pits, slightly polished or not (seed described from Morley 1159).
Description - Shrub or tree, usually small, sometimes to 15 m high with a trunk to 25 cm in diam, unbuttressed, glabrous except for the inflorescence; young twigs terete in the adult, 4-winged in the seedling; bark grayish to grayish brown, rather smooth; wood very hard and heavy, uniformly lustrous. Petioles 1.5-5.0 mm long; blades dark green, 6.0-15.5 cm long, 2.3-6.5(-8.2) cm wide, elliptic to ovate-elliptic or seldom oblong-ovate or ovate, acuminate to caudate or usually abruptly so at the apex, acute to rounded at base; midrib, lateral, and marginal nerves grooved above, prominent below, the midrib sharply 2-angled for its length below or rounded in the lower 1/6. Xylem of lateral veins open above; stomata scattered and also grouped in clusters of 2-6, the clusters 15-40(-60) µ in diam, 0-100 per sq mm, flush with the surface or set in shallow pits up to 11 µ high; hypodermis none; mucilage walls none; free stone cells present only in base of petiole; terminal sclereids round to rectangular with few to several short arms, the body l-2(-3) times as long as wide, occasionally short-branched, the arms often narrow, curved, and blunt, lateral ones infrequent to common, vertical ones common, sometimes the whole sclereid columnar. Flowers 1-5 in the leaf axils and at each side of leafless nodes of twigs up to 2.5 mm thick, 1 per peduncle; peduncles 2.0-4.0 mm long with 2-5(-6) internodes, bearing 2-5(-6) pairs of bracts, the lowest pair sometimes basal; bracts 1.0-2.0 mm long, broadly ovate to triangular, connate-perfoliate, the upper ones broader, roundish at apex or with a small apiculum or cusp, the lower ones progressively smaller and more acute, sometimes also with a small cusp, all present at anthesis, often the upper 1 or 2 pairs persistent in fruit. Bracts and calyx glabrous or seldom their upper parts minutely puberulent. Flowers sessile, the true pedicel 0; calyx including inferior ovary greenish, 2.6-3.8 mm long, obconic to slightly campanulate; inflorescence glabrous or seldom the upper parts of bracts and calyx papillose; free hypanthium ca 1.1 mm long; calyx lobes triangular, 0.6-1.2 mm long, 1.0-2.0 mm wide, 0.9-1.6 mm long when measured from stamen attachment, the calyx splitting between the lobes at anthesis for a distance of 0-0.4 mm. Petals yellow to yellow-orange, ovate-lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, acute, 3.2-5.0 mm long, 1.5-2.4 mm wide. Filaments yellow, the antesepalous ones ca 3.0-5.0 mm long, the antepetalous ones ca 3.5-5.5 mm long; anthers yellow or yellow-orange, 2.3-3.7 mm long; sporangia 1.0-1.7 mm long, dehiscing by apical slits; gland 0.3-0.7 mm long, 1.0-1.5 mm from apex of anther when measured from center of gland; cauda ca 0.9-1.4 mm long. Ovary 1-locular; ovules free-central, all at same level, ca 8; style 7.0-10.0 mm long. Fruit orange, depressed-globose, with 7-10 grooves extending 1/3 to all the way down the sides from the apex, usually crowned with the persistent calyx, 9.0-12.5 mm high excluding calyx and 11.0-16.5 mm thick when dry, estimated 10.5-15.0 mm high and 13.0-20.0 mm thick when fresh. Seed 1, ellipsoid, ca 11-12 mm high, 13-14 mm wide, 9-10 mm thick, the hardened area which represents the outer face of the ovule slightly roughened or fibrous, not polished, subelliptic, ca 4.0 mm high, 2.2 mm wide, tapering at base into a narrow groove leading to the micropyle; rest of surface of seed rugulose or with small bumps and pits, slightly polished or not (seed described from Morley 1159).
Discussion:
In the Guianas and near the coast there seems to be a tendency for the leaves to be thinner than usual and with the veins little impressed, the blades often oblongish, and the bracts to be 2 or 3 pairs instead of more. The Pernambuco collection, although far-removed from the nearest collection from Pará, appears normal for the species.
In the Guianas and near the coast there seems to be a tendency for the leaves to be thinner than usual and with the veins little impressed, the blades often oblongish, and the bracts to be 2 or 3 pairs instead of more. The Pernambuco collection, although far-removed from the nearest collection from Pará, appears normal for the species.
Distribution and Ecology: Venezuela, southern Amazonas, southeast Bolivar, and Delta Amacuro; Surinam; French Guiana; Brazil, Amazonas, drainages of the Solimões, Purus, and Madeira rivers, and forests east of Manaus; north Rondonia; Pará between 0 and 2° S; eastern Pernambuco; and Amapá. Moist or sometimes mesophytic forest, mostly primary, sometimes secondary, or sometimes savanna, always above flood level judging by the records, mostly below 100 m but sometimes in Venezuela up to 500 m elevation or more. Sandy, clay, and lateritic soils reported.
Distribution:
French Guiana South America| Suriname South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Paramaribo Suriname South America|
French Guiana South America| Suriname South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Delta Amacuro Venezuela South America| Guyana South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Rondônia Brazil South America| Pará Brazil South America| Pernambuco Brazil South America| Amapá Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Paramaribo Suriname South America|
Common Names:
Shimarashiri, ikafaruyefu, Spikrihoedoe, spykerhout, topie, kleinbladige topi, grootbladige topi, siemorowe, taroekoewepe, paroekoeroepe, Bois de fer, bois-fleche, Topi, Meriuaba, Miraúba
Shimarashiri, ikafaruyefu, Spikrihoedoe, spykerhout, topie, kleinbladige topi, grootbladige topi, siemorowe, taroekoewepe, paroekoeroepe, Bois de fer, bois-fleche, Topi, Meriuaba, Miraúba