Clidemia strigillosa (Sw.) DC.

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Clidemia strigillosa (Sw.) DC.

  • Basionym

    Melastoma strigillosum Sw.

  • Common Names

    thicket hogwood, terciopelo, glandular clidemia

  • Description

    Description Author and Date: Frank Almeda, based on Almeda, F. (2009). Melastomataceae. In: G. Davidse, M. Sousa-Sânchez, S. Knapp, & F. Chiang (eds.), Flora Mesoamericana: Cucurbitaceae a Polemoniaceae. 4(1): 164-338.

    Description: Shrubs 1-3 m tall, the branchlets, leaf veins and venules below, inflorescences, and hypanthia moderately to densely stellate pubescent (the hairs sessile to shortly stalked-stellate), sparsely to densely intermixed with an overstory of spreading glandular hairs mostly 0.5-1 mm long. Leaves 5-7-nerved, ovate-lanceolate, 5.2-17 cm long, 3.5-8 cm wide, above moderately to densely setose, the smooth (occasionally gland-tipped) hairs arising from swollen or conic bases, sparsely intermixed with caducous stalked-stellate hairs, below reticulate-foveolate, apex gradually acuminate, base rounded to subcordate, the margin ciliate-serrulate. Inflorescence a pseudolateral pyramidal cyme 3-6.5 cm long; flowers 5(-6)-merous, pedicels to 0.5 mm long, the subulate bracteoles 2-2.5 X 0.5 mm. Calyx lobes 2.5-3 X 1 mm, glabrous, oblong to oblong-elliptic, the subulate exterior calyx teeth 3-4 mm long. Petals white, obovate-elliptic, 3.5-4 X 1-2 mm. Filaments 3-3.5 mm long, anther sacs drying yellow, 2-2.5 mm long with a ventrally inclined pore; connective barely prolonged but not appendaged. Ovary 5(-6)-locular, 2/3 inferior, the apical collar 0.5-1 mm long, copiously covered with stellate and glandular hairs; berry 5-7 mm diam, reportedly violet to purple when ripe. Seeds granulate to minutely tuberculate, brown, 0.5 mm long; 2n=ca. 54.

    Habitat and Distribution: Widespread but local in lowland evergreen forest, pine savanna, secondary vegetation, and gallery forest margins. 20-40 (-250) m. Also in the West Indies (Cuba and Jamaica), Colombia to the Guianas and Amazonian Brazil. MEXICO: Chiapas (Martínez 14509A, CAS); BELIZE (Daniel 8286, CAS); GUATEMALA (Contreras 7564, CAS); HONDURAS (Clewell 4434, CAS); NICARAGUA (Vincelli 617, CAS); COSTA RICA (Queseda 1086, CAS); PANAMA (Montenegro 1421, CAS).

    Taxonomy and Systematics: This species and C. novemnervia form a closely related species pair differing consistently only in the characters enumerated in the key.

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

  • Floras and Monographs

    Clidemia strigillosa (Sw.) DC.: [Manuscript] Britton, Nathaniel L. Flora Borinqueña.

  • Narratives

    Terciopelo

    Clidemia strigillosa (Sw.) DC.