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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Trans. Linn. Soc. London 28: 102. 1871

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Isotype --

Description:

Description Author and Date: Nichole M. Tiernan, July 2013, as modified for the PBI Miconiaea project.

Description: Shrub or tree, 1-5 m. Young stems terete to broadly rectangular, pubescent with dendritic trichomes with short axis and few-moderate number of terete arms and sessile-stellate hairs, internodes longitudinal ridges absent, nodal line absent. Leaves isophyllous; petiole 0.6-12.2 cm long, pubescent with stipitate-stellate and sessile-stellate trichomes; the blade 5.0-20.1 x 1.3-10.9 cm, lanceolate, chartaceous, the apex acute, the base broadly acute, the margin spinulose to vaguely serrulate; secondary veins 3 pairs, basally nerved, some large leaves plinnerved, [diverging 0.3-1 cm above the base, symetrical], tertiary veins percurrent, quaternary veins reticulate, areoles 1.1-4 mm wide, veins flat on the adaxial surface and raised on the abaxial surface; adaxial surface smooth, slightly rugose, the surface and veins essentially glabrous, occasionally sparsely pubescent with sessile-stellate trichomes; abaxial surface pale green, pubescent on the surface and veins with sessile-stellate trichomes, occasional elongated trichomes near the midvein, 0.5-1.2 mm. Inflorescences a terminal panicle, 1.5-16.5 cm long; peduncles terete to rectangular, green and pink, densely pubescent with sessile and stipitate-stellate trichomes and elongated trichomes 0.2-1.5 mm; bracts persistent, lanceolate, 1.5-3.3 x 0.6-1.0 mm, pubescent with sessile-stellate trichomes; bracteoles 0.5-2.6 x 0.4-0.8 mm, lanceolate, persistent, pubescent with sessile-stellate trichomes. Flowers 6-merous, diplostemonous, pedicel 0.3-7.3 mm long and ca. 0.5 mm below the hypanthium, pubescent with sessile and stipitate-stellate trichomes and elongated trichomes 0.2-1.5 mm. Hypanthium 2.0-4 mm long, campanulate, 2.6-4.5 mm wide at torus, external surface tuberculate and pubescent with sessile-stellate trichomes. Calyx open in bud, the tube 0.5-1.6 mm long at anthesis, the lobes 1.2-2 x 1-1.6 mm, broadly ovate; calyx teeth stout appendages 0.7-1.8 x 0.4-0.7 mm projecting above the lobes 0.4-1.5 mm. Petals 6-merous, 3.7-13.5 x 3.7-7 mm, oblong-obovate, spreading, white or pink at anthesis (drying brown), glabrous, the apex broadly rounded, the base truncate, the margin entire. Stamens isomorphic, flexed to one side of the flower at anthesis; filament 2-6 mm long, occasionally with glands, white to pale yellow, anthers with 2 locules, thecae 1.8-4 x 0.3-0.7 mm, straight, connective darker brown than thecae, prolonged 0.4-1.3, opening by 1 upright 0.1-0.5 pore, at anthesis yellow, glabrous. Ovary 6-locular, 1/3 inferior , the free portion projecting 1.2-2.6 mm, spherical, sparsely glandular at the conic apex, the apex absent a corona; style 5.3-11 mm long, stright, white, glabrous; stigma truncate or slightly expanded, apex glandular, 0.35-1 mm wide. Berries 2.1-5.2 x 2.5-5.9 mm, globose, pubescence persistent when mature, calyx persistence.