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Family:

Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Fl. Brit. W.I. (Grisebach) 256. 1860

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: Jamaica, Swartz s.n. (S).

Description: Shrubs or small trees 3-12 m tall, the branches, inflorescences, and hypanthia sparsely to moderately covered with a brown amorpho-stellulate or furfuraceous indument, the young branchlets flattened and somewhat two-edged with a nodal interpetiolar line. Leaves 3-plinerved (excluding the intramarginal pair), elliptic-oblong to oblong-obovate, 10-25(-30) X 5-13 cm, adaxially glabrous, abaxially sparsely furfuraceous on the veins but mostly glabrous on the actual surface, apex acuminate, base acute and narrowly decurrent on the petiole, the margin entire to obscurely undulate; petioles 0.5-2 cm long. Panicle 12-15(-20) cm long, flowers 5-merous, sessile, the persistent bracteoles triangular-ovate, 0.5 mm long. Calyx tube ca. 0.25 mm long, the triangular lobes 0.25-0.5 mm long, abscissing as a ring on maturing berries, the exterior teeth bluntly tuberculate and not projecting. Petals papillose, oblong-obovate, 2.5-3.5 X 1.5 mm. Stamens somewhat unequal in size; anthers oblong, alternately 2.5-3 and 1.5-2 mm long, white, the larger with a ventrally inclined pore and connective modified dorso-basally into a biauriculate collar, the smaller with a retuse pore and connective modified basally into a bilobed ventrally incurved appendage. Style glabrous, 2-3 mm long; stigma capitate; ovary 3-4-locular, 2/3 inferior, apex sparsely stellulate-puberulent; berry 6-8 X 6-7 m, yellow-orange turning black at maturity. Seeds pyramidate, smooth and angulate, 1.5-2 mm long.

Habitat and Distribution: Widespread but local, rain forest. 50-520 m. Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico) Trinidad, all the Guianas, Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia and S Brazil. MEXICO: Chiapas (Boege 1120, DS); BELIZE (Gentle 8174, CAS); GUATEMALA (Contreras 4484, CAS); HONDURAS (Saunders 1160, CAS); NICARAGUA (Moreno 23234, CAS); COSTA RICA (Hammel 8217, CAS); PANAMA (Almeda & McPherson 6027, CAS).

Taxonomy and Systematics: The bracteoles of this species are often described as early deciduous but they commonly persist on infructescences with mature berries.

Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]