Tococa erythrophylla (Ule) Wurdack

  • Authority

    Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2005. (Melastomataceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 98: 1-114. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Melastomataceae

  • Scientific Name

    Tococa erythrophylla (Ule) Wurdack

  • Type

    Type. Guyana (British Guayana). Cuyuni-Mazaruni: Roraima, 2000 m, Feb 1910, Ule 8679 (holotype B [destroyed]; isotype K [not found]). Neotype, designated by Michelangeli (2001a). Guyana (British Guayana). Partang River, Merume Mountains, upper Mazaruni river Basin, 3 Jul 1960, Tillett Tillett & Boyan 43984 (neotype, US; isoneotypes, K, P, US).

  • Synonyms

    Miconia erythrophylla Ule

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrub or small tree, to 0.5-6.0 m tall; stems and nodes glabrous. Leaves isophyllous, elliptic-oblong, 5-15 x 2.5-8.0 cm, apex acute to obtuse, occasionally round, base broadly acute to round, adaxial surface glabrous to sparsely glandular-setose, abaxial surface glabrous to sparsely glandular-setose, red to crimson, (3-)5-7-nervate to plinervate, the first pair of secondary veins diverging up to 2 cm from the base of the leaf, coriaceous, ciliate-serrulate; petioles 1-4 cm long, glabrous; domatia absent. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of 6-18 flowers, 5-12 cm long, the axis green, flattened. Flowers on pedicels 0-5 mm long, articulated at the base of the hypanthium, flared at the apex, subtended by late caducous to persistent bracts, lanceolate, 0.5 mm long; hypanthium campanulate, 3.5-4.5 mm long, glabrous; outer calyx teeth highly reduced, often inconspicuous, inner calyx teeth obscurely 5-lobed, 1.3-1.5 mm long; the ring inside the torus glabrous; petals 5, oblong-obovate, 5.5-6.5 x 4.0-4.5 mm, emarginate, pruinose, glabrous, white to pink; stamens all the same size; filaments 5.0-6.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow; the connective with or without a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 5.5-6.0 mm long, opening by a ventrally inclined pore; ovary 3-locular, ½ inferior, the superior portion terete, the apex with a glabrous ring, 0.5-0.7 mm tall, rarely with sparse, minute, sessile glands; style glabrous, 11-12 mm long; stigma peltate to capitate, 1.0 mm wide. Fruits globose, 6-9.5 mm long, black, glabrous; seeds not evident through the pericarp, truncate-obovate, 0.8-1.0 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls flat.

  • Discussion

    Tococa erythrophylla is resolved in the morphological phylogenetic analysis as the most basal species of the Tococa sensu stricto clade, and it can be recognized easily by its leaves with a glabrous and red abaxial surface. The presence of seeds with testa cells with straight anticlinal walls is the most important character that distinguishes T. erythrophylla from the species outside Tococa sensu stricto.

    Tococa erythrophylla is the only species, besides T. macrosperma, that is polymorphic for the presence of the blunt tooth at the dorsal base of the anther connective.

    Steyermark 109402 from Cerro Jaua seems to be a mixed collection of T. erythrophylla and T. obovata subsp. obovata. However, the material that closely resembles T. erythrophylla is in fruit and not in flower; therefore, this determination is temporary, until more material from this locality becomes available.

  • Distribution

    In SE Venezuela and S Guyana in forests and scrubs on the summits and slopes of the Guayana Highlands from 1000-2000 m.

    Bolívar Venezuela South America| Cuyuni-Mazaruni Guyana South America|