Miconia prasina (Sw.) DC.

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Miconia prasina (Sw.) DC.

  • Primary Citation

    Prodr. (DC.) 3: 188. 1828

  • Basionym

    Melastoma prasinum Sw.

  • Common Names

    granadillo bobo, camasey, camasey blanco

  • 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: Lectotype (designated by Howard & Kellogg, 1986): Jamaica, Swartz s.n. (S).

    Description: Shrubs or trees 1.5-12 m tall, the distal branches, elevated leaf veins abaxially, inflorescences, and hypanthia sparsely to moderately but deciduously stellate-puberulent, the distal branchlets obtusely quadrate but rapidly becoming rounded with age. Leaves 5-plinerved, elliptic to oblong-elliptic or obovate-elliptic, (6-)10-31 X 3-10.5 cm, glabrous adaxially and abaxially, apex acute to acuminate, base acute to acuminate and decurrent on the petiole, the margin entire to repand-dentate; petioles (free portion) 0.3-2 cm long. Panicle (5-)8-15 cm long, the flowers 5-merous and sessile, the persistent bracteoles triangular, 0.5-0.7 mm long. Calyx tube ca. 0.25 mm long, the depressed bluntly triangular lobes 0.25 mm long, the exterior teeth inconspicuous, adnate to and not projecting beyond the lobes. Petals oblong-obovate, densely and conspicuously papillose on both surfaces, 2-3 X 1-1.5 mm. Stamens somewhat unequal; anthers narrowly oblong, white, alternately 2.5-3 mm and 2-2.5 mm long, the larger with a ventrally inclined pore, the smaller with a retuse pore; connective thickened but not appendaged dorsally, shortly prolonged into a bilobulate ventro-basal appendage. Style glabrous, 4 mm long; ovary 3-locular, 1/2 inferior, apex papillose, dilated into a broad glandular-puberulent bowl-like collar; berry 4-5 X 4-5 mm, red-purple to purple-black. Seeds narrowly pyramidate, angulate and obscurely rugulate to granulate, 0.7-1 mm long.

    Habitat and Distribution: Locally common, rain forest, semi-evergreen forest, swamp forest, gallery forest, coastal scrub, and disturbed sites. 0-1550 m. Southern Mexico (Oaxaca southward), Greater and Lesser Antilles, Trinidad, all the Guianas, Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia, S Brazil, and Paraguay. MEXICO: Tabasco (Cowan 2620, CAS); Chiapas (Breedlove & Almeda 57855, CAS); BELIZE (Hawkins 1471, CAS); GUATEMALA (Contreras 9399, CAS); HONDURAS (Saunders 634, CAS); EL SALVADOR (Sidwell et al. 764, CAS); NICARAGUA (Stevens & Montiel 17544, CAS); COSTA RICA (Almeda & Nakai 4087, CAS); PANAMA (Almeda et al. 6494, CAS).

    Taxonomy and Systematics: Cogniaux (1891) divided this widespread variable species into five varieties. Because the intergradation among these varieties is so extensive, the species is treated here without infraspecific taxa. Miconia prasina is sometimes confused with M. splendens. The latter is distinguished by its amorpho-stellulate or furfuraceous indument, flattened somewhat two-edged distal branchlets, deciduous calyx lobes, and longer (1.5-2) seeds that are smooth and angulate.

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

  • Floras and Monographs

    Miconia prasina (Sw.) DC.: [Manuscript] Britton, Nathaniel L. Flora Borinqueña.

  • Narratives

    Miconia prasina (Sw.) DC.

    Camasey