Miconia silicicola Gleason
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Authority
Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1964. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part V. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10: 1-278.
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Family
Melastomataceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - The foliage is quite variable in shape, ranging from obovate-elliptic and scarcely contracted to a clasping base to broadly oblanceolate with narrow base. The compiled floral description shows the following: hypanthium 3.8 X 3.5 mm, calyx tube 1.3 mm, the lobes closed in bud and 0.1-0.4 mm high at anthesis each with an external subapical tooth; petals 4 x 2 mm, white, obovate with rounded apex, externally caducously pulverulent; stamens slightly dimorphic in size; filaments 5 or 4.5 mm, very sparsely glandular-setulose, the hairs 0.1 mm long; anthers 4.1 or 2.8 mm, subulate, the connective base with 1-4 pairs of short-stalked glands; style 7 X 0.5-0.6 mm, sparsely glandular-setulose on the basal half; stigma subcapitate, 0.65 mm diam.; ovary 3-celled, 1/5-inferior, the apical collar 0.3 mm high and sparsely glandular-setulose.
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Discussion
The slightly smaller flowers and leaves, as well as the stipitate (stalk 0.05-0.1 mm) sublepidote-stellate lower leaf surface pubescence, differentiate M. silicicola from M. plukenetii Naud.; the latter has sessile sublepidote-stellate foliar hairs.
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Distribution
Originally described from Roraima and Duida, this widespread species is now known also from the Chimanta Massif, Ilu-tepui, Guanay, Yutaje, and Coro-Coro.
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