Tococa coronata Benth.
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Authority
Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2005.
(Melastomataceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 98: 1-114. (Published by NYBG Press) -
Family
Melastomataceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Guayana (British Guiana): Schomburgk 980 p.p. (holotype G [photos F, NY]; isotypes BM [annotated by Wurdack as an isotype, but no collector information available], K [3; one marked as holotype], NY, P [2]).
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Synonyms
Tococa truncata Benth., Tococa egensis Naudin, Tococa longisepala Cogn., Tococa traillii Cogn., Tococa setifera Pilg., Tococa glandulosa Gleason
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Description
Species Description - Shrub or small tree, to 2.5-4.5 m tall. Stems glabrous, occasionally with a mix of sparse lepidote trichomes and nonglandular and glandular setae, the trichomes 1.0-2.0 mm long, persistent, but becoming caducous in the older stems, the nodes glabrous. Leaves anisophyllous, seldom isophyllous, ovate, elliptic or narrowly elliptic, the larger leaves (6-)9-29 X (3.5-)5-13 cm, the smaller leaves reduced by 25-35%, apex acute to acuminate or abrubtly caudate, base round to obtuse, rarely cordate, attenuate if the domatia are not completely immersed in the leaf blade, adaxial surface glabrous, rarely with sparse, caducous, glandular setae, abaxial surface usually glabrous, occasionally with a mix of setae up to 1 mm long and caducous stellate hairs on the primary and secondary nerves, light green, 5-basinervate to slightly plinervate (up to 0.5 cm) in leaves lacking domatia, plinervate in leaves with domatia, the first pair of secondary nerves merging with the main nerve at the apex of the domatium, chartaceous, ciliate or ciliate-serrulate; petioles 1-7(-10) cm long, sparsely glandular-setose or glabrous; domatia present in the larger leaves, occasionally in both leaves of each pair, completely to 3/5 immersed in the leaf blade, often the abaxial side flattened and level with the abaxial surface of the blade and base of blade attached to the adaxial surface, ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 1.0-3.0 (-4.0) X 1.0-2.0 cm. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of 8-25(-40) flowers, 8-15(-22) cm long, the axis green, flattened, glabrous or sparsely stellate-puberulous. Flowers on pedicels 4-10(-13) mm long, flared at the apex, subtended by caducous bracts, lanceolate, 1.5-3.5 X 0.5-0.7 mm; hypanthium conical to slightly campanulate, 5.5-7.5 mm long, glabrous or with a mix of lepidote hairs and long glandular setae; outer calyx teeth subulate, rarely narrowly deltoid, projecting above the inner teeth, 0.5-3.5 mm long, glandular-setose, rarely glabrous, inner calyx teeth ovate to deltoid, fused at the base 1/3-1/2 of the total length, glabrous, glandular-setose or pilose, 2-6 mm long; the ring inside the torus glabrous; petals 5, obovate to oblong, 8.5-11.0 X 5.0-6.5 mm, base attenuate, apex emarginate, margin occasionally slightly undulate, granulose or pruinose, glabrous, pink; stamens all the same size; filaments 6.0-8.0 mm long, glabrous; anthers blue; the connective with a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 6.5-7.0 mm long, opening by a ventrally inclined pore; ovary 3-locular, 1/2-4/5 inferior, the superior portion conical, the apex glabrous to densely pilose or with a corona of long glandular setae; style sparsely glandular-setose and stellate-pubescent at the base, occasionally glabrous, 15-20 mm long; stigma capitate, 1.5 mm wide (appearing funnelform when dry), the surface finely papillate. Fruits urceolate, 15-22(-25) mm long, blue, glabrous; seeds not evident through the pericarp, narrowly ovate, 1.5-2.8 mm long, with capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls flat, boundaries between periclinal walls flat. Chromosome number n = 28.
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Discussion
Tococa coronata is a common and widespread species that shows a large amount of morphological variation. It is most closely related to the other species with blue fruits and pubescent seeds. It can be distinguished from T. caudata by the partially superior ovary and larger hypanthia and fruits. Tococa coronata differs from T. cordata in having a subulate outer calyx and domatia that are not 4-lobed on the abaxial side.
The types of T. coronata and T. truncata are both from the same collections of Schomburgk, and both descriptions appeared in the same publication. However, the differences between these specimens do not justify maintaining them as separate species. Given that neither name has priority, the more commonly used T. coronata is here chosen.Several species with pubescent styles and/or ovary apices and subulate outer calyx teeth have been described from the lowlands of northern South America. Because observations of over 250 specimens clearly reveal that there is a large amount of variation among these characters, no case can be made to maintain them as separate taxa. Wurdack (1973a) had already pointed out the similarities between T. coronata, T. truncata, T. longisepala, and T. egensis. He identified many specimens in the 1950’s and 60’s as T. egensis, but the older name of T. coronata is now being applied.The type of T. setífera has a thickened and winged inflorescence axis and could be recognized as a separate taxon. However, only a few specimens showing this morphology have been collected, and intermediate forms exist throughout the distribution range of T. coronata. Therefore, these two taxa are here treated as synonyms until more material becomes available.The ripe fruits of T coronata are used occasionally as fishing bait in the Ventuari and Río Negro basins. -
Common Names
Pucacuru-caspi, anayo-caspi, rifarillo, boyuyo, boyuyo de agua
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Objects
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Distribution
S Colombia, S Venezuela, Guyana, E Ecuador, W Peru, and Brazil throughout the Amazon, Essequibo, and Orinoco basins, at the tops of river banks, on the edges of lagoons, and in flooded forests. Flowering at the beginning of the rainy season; fruits ripening at the end of the rainy season.
Pará Brazil South America| Amazonas Colombia South America| Vaupés Colombia South America| Amazonas Venezuela South America| Apure Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Sucumbíos Ecuador South America| Loreto Peru South America| Acre Brazil South America| Amazonas Brazil South America| Mato Grosso Brazil South America| Rio de Janeiro Brazil South America| Roraima Brazil South America| Brazil South America| Beni Bolivia South America| Pando Bolivia South America|