Miconia serrulata (DC.) Naudin
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Family
Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)
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Scientific Name
Miconia serrulata (DC.) Naudin
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Primary Citation
Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. 16: 118. 1850
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Basionym
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Common Names
camasey
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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, Martius s.n. (M).
Description: Shrubs or trees 3-10 m tall, the compressed rounded uppermost cauline internodes, petioles, abaxial leaf surfaces, inflorescences, and hypanthia densely covered with prevailingly sessile stellate or dendritic-stellate hairs. Leaves 5-7-nerved, oblong-elliptic to elliptic-ovate or cordate, 10.5-42.2 X 5-27.5 cm, glabrous adaxially, apex acuminate, base rounded-obtuse to cordate, the margin denticulate; petioles 2-13 cm long. Panicle 7-26 cm long; flowers 6-merous, sessile or on pedicels 0.5 mm long, the early-deciduous foliaceous bracteoles obovate to elliptic, 5.5-6 X 2.5-6 mm. Calyx tube ca. 1 mm long, calyx lobes ovate, 0.5 mm long, the exterior teeth not evident. Petals white, densely stellulate-puberulent abaxially, oblong-obovate and conspicuously reflexed at anthesis, 6-7.5 X 2.5-3 mm. Anthers alternately unequal in size, subulate, 5.5-7 mm long, purple, each theca prolonged basally ca. 0.5 mm abaxially the filament insertion, the larger anthers with a ventrally inclined pore, the smaller ones with a truncate or dorsally inclined pore; connective dorso-basally beset with stellulate and/or small glandular hairs and sometimes prolonged into a blunt deflexed spur. Style with fascicled hairs basally, 9-10 mm long; stigma truncate; ovary 4-5-locular, 1/3 inferior, apex densely covered with basally fascicled smooth hairs, berry, 0.6-1 X 0.6-1 cm when dry, purple at maturity Seeds ovoid to ovoid-pyramidate, the testa rugulate, 1 mm long.
Habitat and Distribution: Local and infrequent in rain forest, gallery forest, pine savanna, and disturbed sites. 0-1020 m. Widespread from southern Mexico to the Greater Antilles and Trinidad, and from Colombia and Venezuela south to Bolivia, east to all the Guianas and south to southeastern Brazil. MEXICO: Chiapas (Purpus 6776, US); GUATEMALA (cited in Standley & Williams, 1963); HONDURAS (Nelson & Vargas 4936, CAS); NICARAGUA (Araquistain 3434, CAS); COSTA RICA (Almeda & Nakai 4142, CAS); PANAMA (de Nevers & McCook 3499, CAS).
Taxonomy and Systematics: This species is closely related to M. bubalina which appears to differ consistently in having 5-merous flowers, a 3-locular ovary, modally smaller petals, anther thecae, and mature berries, and modally smaller leaf blades. Judging from available collections in herbaria, M. bubalina appears to be the more commonly encountered of the two.
Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]
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