Tococa caquetana Sprague

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Melastomataceae

  • Scientific Name

    Tococa caquetana Sprague

  • Type

    Type. Colombia. Putumayo: San José, Río Putumayo, Sprague 604 (holotype US; isotypes BM, K [3]).

  • Synonyms

    Tococa micrantha Ule

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrub, up to 0.5-2.0(-2.5) m tall; stems with a mix of sparsely glandular and nonglandular, persistent trichomes 1.5-3.0 mm long, with a dense cover or stellulate hairs underneath, the nodes glabrous. Leaves slightly to moderately anisophyllous, elliptic, 15-35 X 7-13 cm, apex shortly to blunt acuminate, base acute to obtuse, adaxial side sparsely glandular-pubescent, abaxial side sparsely glandular-pubescent, light green, 5-nervate, but the innermost pair of secondary veins often running closely parallel to the primary vein for 1.0-2.0 cm above the leaf base, membranaceous, ciliate crenulate; petioles 0.7-1.5 cm long, with pubescence as on stems; domatia present, free from the leaf blade, ovoid, 1.0-2.0 cm X 0.7-1.2 cm. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of 3-10 flowers, 3-9 cm long, the axis red to crimson, terete. Flowers on pedicels 3.0-5.5 mm long; bracts caducous, lanceolate, less than 0.5 mm long; hypanthium conical, with a truncate base, 3.0-3.5 mm long, with a mix of adpressed and stellate trichomes; outer calyx teeth narrowly deltoid, lying over the inner teeth and projecting up to 1.5 mm above them, glandular-setulose, occasionaly terminated in a setula up to 2 mm long, inner calyx teeth partly fused, 1.0-2.0 mm long, the terminal ovate lobes up to 0.5 mm long; the ring inside the torus glabrous; petals 5, obovate, entire, 2.5-3.5 X 2.0-2.5 mm, smooth, glabrous, white; stamens all the same size; filaments 2.5-3.0 mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow; the connective with a dorsal-basal blunt tooth and distinctly dorso-elevated into a orbicular gland up to 1 mm wide; thecae 2.5-3.0 mm long, opening by a dorsally inclined to upright pore; ovary 3(rarely 4)-locular, 2/3 inferior, the superior portion terete, the apex glabrous, very rarely with minute glandular trichomes; style glabrous, 4.5-6.0 mm long; stigma slightly funnel-form, 0.5 mm wide. Fruits globose, 4-5 mm long, black, sparsely adpressed-setose; seeds not evident through the pericarp, trancate-obovate, 0.5-0.6 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, with sculpturing, anticlinal walls curved, periclinal walls flat, boundaries between periclinal walls flat.

  • Discussion

    For a detailed discussion of the systematic placement and affinities of T. caquetana, see commentary under T. parviflora.

  • Distribution

    S Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and W Brazil, in the understories of primary and disturbed forests up to 1000 m.

    Amazonas Colombia South America| Caquetá Colombia South America| Morona-Santiago Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America| Santiago-Zamora Ecuador South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Junín Peru South America| Loreto Peru South America| Madre de Dios Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Amazonas Brazil South America|