Miconia basilensis Urb. & Ekman

Description

Description Author and Date: Walter S. Judd, 2010, based on Judd, W. S. (2007). Revision of Miconia sect. Chaenopleura (Melastomataceae) in the Greater Antilles. Systematic Botany Monographs 81:1-235.

Type: HAITI. [Dept. de L’Artibonite]: Massif du Nord, Ennery, top of Morne Basile, ca 1400 m, fl, young fr, 7 Mar 1928, E. L. Ekman H9663 (holotype: S!; isotypes: NY!, US!).

Description: Shrub to perhaps 2 m. Indumentum of multicellular, ferrugineous to white, irregularly stellate-branched to branched-columnar hairs, and sometimes minute globular hairs. Young twigs square to rectangular in cross-section, 1-2.7 mm wide, not ridged, becoming terete with age, the indumentum of sparse to dense, multicellular, ferrugineous to white, irregularly stellate-branched to elongate-branched hairs, along with a few minute globular hairs, quickly glabrescent to ± persistently pubescent; internodes 0.6-3.5 (-8) cm long. Leaves with petiole 0.2-1.2 cm long, the indumentum initially dense, becoming sparse to moderate cobwebby stellate-branched to irregularly elongate-branched, eventually ± glabrescent; blade 2-8.5 (-10) cm long, 0.6-2 cm wide, ovate or elliptic to oblong, abaxially curved and bowed from base to apex, coriaceous, the apex acuminate, the base acute to rounded, the margin slightly to strongly revolute, entire to obscurely serrulate, with proximal 25-100% of margin entire, the largest teeth (0-) 0.1-0.2 mm long, but often appearing entire, even when teeth are present due to revolute condition; venation acrodromous, slightly suprabasal, with a prominent midvein and 2 conspicuous secondary veins placed ca 1-2 mm in from the margin, sometimes with 2 additional inconspicuous submarginal secondary veins, and numerous percurrent tertiary veins oriented subperpendicular to the midvein, the tertiary veins joined by percurrent-orthogonal quaternary veins, occasionally interrupted by composite-intertertiary veins; adaxial surface green (sometimes drying slightly yellowish), the indumentum initially dense to very sparse stellate-branched hairs, very quickly glabrescent except for a few hairs on proximal portion of midvein, the midvein and 2 major secondary veins impressed, marginal secondary and tertiary veins slightly impressed, higher order veins ± flat, the surface wrinkled after drying, with scattered druse crystals; abaxial surface light green, sparsely to moderately covered with ferrugineous to white, stellate-branched to elongate-branched hairs to ca 0.35 mm across, with hair-branches often white, ± bent, erect to matted and cobweb-like, along with a few minute globular hairs, on midvein, secondary, higher order veins, and lamina, but epidermis clearly visible between hairs, the midvein and major secondary veins prominently raised, minor secondary and tertiary veins slightly raised, higher order veins ± flat. Inflorescences many flowered, open-paniculate cymes of 3 to 5 major branch pairs, ca 2-4.3 cm long, 1.3-2 cm across; proximal segment of lowermost inflorescence branches 0.4-0.6 cm long, distal internodes increasingly shorter, ultimate branches 0.3-1 mm long, sparse pale ferrugineous, stellate-branched hairs; peduncle 0.7-1.3 cm long, with similar indumentum; each inflorescence branch associated with early caducous obovate to ovate or broadly ovate bract, ca 2-5 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, the apices obtuse to rounded; flowers in dichasia, appearing as 3-flowered glomerules, each flower subtended by 2 caducous, ovate to obovate bracteoles 0.6-2.6 mm long, 0.4-1.9 mm wide, the indumentum of sparse to moderate stellate-branched hairs, their apices acute to rounded. Flowers ± sessile, and pedicel ± lacking. Hypanthium cylindrical, free portion ca 0.7-1 mm long, the outer surface with sparse to moderate, pale ferrugineous, stellate-branched hairs, the inner surface glabrous and slightly ridged, the apices of the ridges only slightly projecting, to 0.05 mm. External calyx lobes 5, 0.3-0.5 mm long, 1-1.6 mm wide, broadly triangular, with obtuse to acute apex, indumentum of sparse stellate-branched hairs; internal calyx lobes 5, 0.4-0.5 mm long, 0.9-1.6 mm wide, broadly triangular, green or green with slight pink tinge, glabrous, the apex obtuse to rounded, the margin entire; calyx tube 0.3-0.4 mm long. Petals 5, 2.2-3 mm long, 1.9-2.1 mm wide, broadly obovate, glabrous, white; margin entire. Stamens 10 geniculate; proximal segment 1.5-2.1 mm long; distal segment 2.1-2.8 mm, the anther 1.4-1.8 mm long, with fertile portion of anther sacs 1.2-1.7 mm long, the connective/distal part of filament extended 0.7-1 mm beyond the base of the anther sacs. Ovary 3-loculate, ca 2/3-inferior, 1.8-2 mm long, 1.2-2.1 mm in diameter, globose to ovoid, glabrous, ± ridged, with fluted apical projection to 0.3 mm encircling the base of style; style ca 3.2-4 mm long, glabrous; stigma slightly expanded. Berries 2.5-3 mm long, 3-3.5 mm in diameter, ± globose, green [immature]; mature fruits not seen, but probably blue and somewhat larger. Seeds 0.8-1.2 mm long, angular-obovoid; testa smooth. Fig. 28.

Habitat and Distribution: Hispaniola (Haiti), Massif du Nord, Haiti, from Morne Basile, occurring only near the peak; 1400-1450 m. This species likely occurs with M. calycina, M. krugii, and M. fuertesii.

Phenology: Flowering pattern poorly understood; documented as flowering only from specimens collected in March.

Taxonomy and Systematics: Miconia basilensis is known only from two gatherings made by E. L. Ekman, and has only been collected in flower and young fruit. This species possibly is most closely related to M. domingensis, and there are sufficient specimens to confidently distinguish these two allopatric species (see comparison in discussion under M. domingensis, and the key). The two are quite similar, but most of their common features are not easy to hypothesize as synapomorphic. In their description of M. basilensis, Urban and Ekman (1929) recognized its relationship with M. domingensis, and even identified Ekman H8451 as a narrow-leaved variant of M. domingensis. This collection is here considered within M. basilensis based on the pattern of variation in the several characters listed in the key.

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