Macairea maroana Wurdack
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Authority
Renner, Susanne S. 1989. Systematic studies in the Melastomataceae Bellucia, Loreya and Macairea. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 50: 1-112.
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Family
Melastomataceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Shrub, 1.1-1 m tall; branchlets, petioles, and peduncle sericeous with long slender hairs, with globose sessile glands. Leaves elliptic, sometimes with denticulate margins, 7-11 x 3.5-5 cm, acuminate, obtuse at base, 3-nerved, the lateral primaries arising at the blade base, densely covered with conical hairs to 1 mm long, lower surface foveate, moderately hirsute with slender hairs, with sessile glands; petioles 1-2 cm long. Inflorescence a many-flowered terminal paniculate cyme. Flowers with pedicels 4-9 mm long; pedicels, hypanthium, and calyx lobes sericeous with glandular hairs; hypanthium 4.8-5.2 x 2.1-2.6 mm; calyx lobes narrowly triangular, ca. 3 mm long; petals white, becoming pink-flushed with age, 10-13 x 8-9 mm; filaments 8-9 or 5-6 mm long, ventrally with short-stalked glands; thecae ca. 5 mm long, the connective prolonged and expanded dorsi-basally; ovary apically with glandular hairs, 4-locular. Fruit capsular. Seeds 0.9-1 mm long, subcochleate.
Distribution and Ecology - Distribution and ecology (Fig. 35 A ): Macairea maroana is an endemic ofthe Orinoco-Rio Negro drainage where it grows in regularly inundated savannas.
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Discussion
Type: Venezuela. Terr. Fed. Amazonas: Occasional at forest edges just SE of Maroa, Rio Guainia, 120-140 m, 9 Oct 1957 (fl), Maguire, Wurdack & Keith 41772 (holotype: US!; isotypes: NY!, P!, VEN!).
Figs. 25B, 26G-I.
Macairea maroana is illustrated in the Flora de Venezuela (Wurdack, 1973, fig. 11). It differs from all other species oi Macairea in having long eglandular hairs and sessile glands on the lower leaf surface and long glandular hairs (but no sessile glands) on the pedicel, hypanthium, and calyx lobes.