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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Fl. Bras. (Martius) 14: 419. 1888

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Description:

Description Author and Date: Frank Almeda, based on Almeda, F. (2009). Melastomataceae. In: G. Davidse, M. Sousa-Sânchez, S. Knapp, & F. Chiang (eds.), Flora Mesoamericana: Cucurbitaceae a Polemoniaceae. 4(1): 164-338.

Type: Holotype: Colombia, Bonpland 2026 (P).

Description: Shrub or tree 2-15 m tall, the quadrate to rounded-quadrate uppermost cauline internodes, abaxial foliar surfaces, and inflorescence branches glabrous or sometimes deciduously amorpho-squamate but then typically appearing glabrous to the unaided eye. Leaves of a pair equal to subequal in size; the blades 3-nerved or shortly pseudo-plinerved, oblong-elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 6.4-18.5 x 2.4-6 cm, the apex shortly blunt-acuminate, the base acute to obtuse, the margin entire to distantly callose-serrulate, the adaxial surface glabrous; petioles 0.5-4.4 cm long. Inflorescence a multiflowered panicle 5-13 cm long; flowers 5-merous on pedicels 0.25-0.5 mm long; the early deciduous bracteoles oblong to narrowly obovate, 0.75-1.5 x 0.25-0.5 mm. Hypanthium glabrous to inconspicuously and deciduously lepidote. Calyx tube 0.1-0.2 mm long, the calyx lobes semicircular to broadly undulate, 0.1-0.25 mm long, the exterior calyx teeth triangular, 0.1-0.25 mm long, shorter than the calyx lobes. Petals white, glabrous, suborbicular to broadly obovate, the margin entire to finely erose, 1-1.2 x 0.75-1 mm. Anthers isomorphic, 0.5-1.5 mm long, white to very pale yellow, oblong to obovate-oblong, 4-celled with 4 ventrally inclined pores and a septum that typically protudes somewhat beyond the pores, connective inconspicuously prolonged basally for 0.2 mm abaxially the thecae but unappendaged. Style glabrous, 1.5-3 mm long; stigma clavate to capitate; ovary 3-locular, ½ inferior, the apex glabrous and ± rounded. Berry 2 x 2 mm when dry, blue at maturity. Seeds ovoid, the testa muriculate, 0.75 mm long.

Habitat and Distribution: Locally common in cloud forest and evergreen montane forest. 50-1650 m. Greater Antilles (Jamaica), Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia and Brazil. COSTA RICA (Almeda et al. 5737, CAS); PANAMA (Wilbur & Teeri 13618, CAS).

Taxonomy and Systematics: The flowers of M. theizans are protogynous and reportedly sweetly fragrant. This species is part of a large polymorphic complex in need of study to sort out variation and the taxonomic status of many named infraspecific taxa. In the Mesoamerican region, M. theizans has been confused with the closely related M. brevitheca. In the latter, the indument consists of roughened or ± flattened bran-like hairs, the dorsal pair of anther cells are about half as long as the ventral pair, and the mature berries are yellow to yellow-orange in color.

Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]