Miconia gratissima Benth. ex Triana

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Miconia gratissima Benth. ex Triana

  • Primary Citation

    Trans. Linn. Soc. London 28: 101. 1871

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Isotype -- R. Spruce 1189

  • 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.

    Type: Holotype: Brazil, Spruce 1189 (K!).

    Description: Shrubs or small trees 4-8 m tall, the young branchlets, petioles, and elevated veins abaxially covered with a tightly appressed tomentum of ferrugineous hairs. Leaves 3-5-nerved, elliptic, 10-20 X 5-10.5 cm, adaxially moderately stellate puberulent when young but glabrous with age, abaxially appearing densely lanate but actually covered with matted finely branched stellate hairs, apex acuminate, base acute to obtuse, the margin entire to obscurely denticulate; petioles 1-3 cm long. Panicle 7-15 cm long, the sessile 5-merous flowers mostly born in simple diachasia terminating the branchlets, the early-deciduous bracteoles elliptic-oblong 4-8 X 1.5-2.5 mm. Hypanthia subcylindric, densely velutinous, the triangular calyx lobes 3-4 X 2-2.5 mm long (including the narrowly pyramidate exterior teeth) connivent in bud and deciduous at the torus after anthesis. Petals glabrous, oblong-obovate, 5-6 X 3-4 mm. Anthers somewhat anisomorphic, pink, linear-subulate, 6-8(-9) mm long, the larger anthers with a ventrally inclined pore, the smaller ones with a dorsally inclined pore; connective exappendiculate. Style moderately glandular-puberulent basally, 10-11 mm long, stigma capitellate; ovary 5-locular, 1/6 inferior, apex distended into a lobulate glandular-puberulent stylar collar; berry 6-7 X 5 mm. Seeds subpyramidate, angulate and smooth, 1 mm long.

    Habitat and Distribution: Uncommon, forest margins, disturbed sites. 50-900 m. Venezuela, Bolivia, and all the Guianas to Amazonian Brazil. NICARAGUA (Holdridge 6624, US); PANAMA (Dwyer 7067, MO).

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

  • Sorry, no descriptions available for this record.