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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 28: 107. 1871

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Isotype -- E. F. Poeppig

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: Isosyntype: Peru, Poeppig 1914 (BM!).

Description: Trees (5-)12-30 m tall, the young branchlets, elevated primary lef veins beneath, inflorescences and hypanthia sparsely to moderately and deciduously stellate-puberulent. Leaves 3(-5)-plinerved, elliptic (5.5-)9-15(-20) X 2.5-5 cm, glabrous on both surfaces, apex obtusely acute to short-acuminate, base acute, the margin entire; petioles 0.7-1.5 cm long. Inflorescence a multiflowered panicle 7-15(-19) cm long with (2-)4(-6) branches at each primary node; the 5-merous flowers on peduncles 0.5-1.5 mm long but actually sessile and disarticulating at bracteolate nodes, the early-deciduous bracteoles narrowly elliptic to subulate, 0.5-1 mm long. Calyx tube ca. 0.2 mm long from the torus, the depressed semicircular lobes 0.25 long, deciduous on maturing berries, the exterior teeth callose thickened, inconspicuous and not projecting. Petals oblong-obovate, obscurely papillose distally on both surfaces, 2-3 X 1-2 mm. Stamens somewhat unequal in size; anthers linear-oblong with a broad ventrally inclined pore, alternately 2 and 1.5-1.7 mm long, white, connective prolonged 0.25 mm and dilated dorso-basally into a lobulate semicircular collar (large anthers) or a minute deflexed spur (small anthers). Style glabrous, 4 mm long; stigma capitate; ovary 3-locular, 1/2-2/3 inferior, apex obscurely papillose; berry 4-6 X 4-6 mm, blue to dark purple. Seeds narrowly triangular, smooth and angulate, 1 mm long.

Habitat and Distribution: Local and uncommon, rainforest. 0-180 m. All the Guianas, Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia, N and NE Brazil. GUATEMALA (Wurdack, 1993:226); HONDURAS (Saunders 1224, CAS); NICARAGUA (Little 25294, CAS); COSTA RICA (Hammel et al. 18427, CAS); PANAMA (Nee & Smith 11085, CAS).

Taxonomy and Systematics: This species is one of the tallest known members of the genus. Among neotropical melastomes its height is equaled or exceeded only by certain species of Mouriri and Tessmannianthus. Gleason erroneously treated M. darienensis as a synonym of M. prasina (Sw.) DC. in the Flora of Panama.

Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]