Miconia sintenisii Cogn.

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Miconia sintenisii Cogn.

  • Primary Citation

    Jahrb. Königl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 4: 281. 1886

  • Common Names

    mountain johnnyberry, camasey

  • 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: PUERTO RICO. Maricao, in sylvis ad monte Alegrillo, fl, 26 Nov 1884, P. Sintenis 454 (holotype: B, destroyed; lectotype, here designated: US!; isolectotypes: S (2 sheets)!).

    Description: Shrub or small tree to 6 m tall. Indumentum of multicellular, ferrugineous, very short to long-stalked, irregularly stellate-branched to ± dendritic-branched hairs, elongate-branched hairs, minute-globular hairs, and often long-stalked, gland-headed hairs. Young twigs not ridged, ± rectangular to elliptic or constricted-elliptic in cross-section, 3-7 mm wide, becoming ± terete with age, the indumentum of moderate, variably stalked, irregularly stellate-branched or elongate-branched hairs, to minute-globular hairs, often also with sparse to moderate, long-stalked, gland-headed hairs, to 0.7-1.1 mm long, somewhat glabrescent; internodes 1.8-5 (-7.5) cm long; nodes with 2-4, raised, circular lenticel-like structures just below point of petiole attachment. Leaves with petiole 1.5-6.2 cm long, the indumentum similar to that of twigs; blade 8.2-20.5 cm long, 3.4-10.4 cm wide, ovate (elliptic), ± flat, coriaceous, the apex acuminate, the base obtuse to slightly cordate, the margin ± revolute, serrate to obscurely serrulate (occasionally only ± undulate-toothed) but often appearing ± entire due to revolute condition, usually ± ciliate in seedlings, proximal 0-80 (-100%) of margin entire, the largest teeth 0.2-0.7 mm long, not associated with long-stalked hairs but often with dense cluster of branched hairs, but usually with long-stalked, gland-headed hair in seedlings; venation acrodromous, ± basal, with prominent midvein and 6 secondary veins, with 2 conspicuous secondary veins placed 5-23 mm in from margin, 2 somewhat conspicuous to ± inconspicuous secondary veins placed 1-7.5 mm in from margin, and 2 inconspicuous, intramarginal secondary veins, and numerous percurrent tertiary veins oriented subperpendicular to midvein, the tertiary veins connected by several to numerous percurrent quaternary veins, and the higher order veins ± orthogonal-reticulate; adaxial surface green, but sometimes slightly yellow after drying, initially with scattered stellate hairs but very quickly glabrescent, with long-stalked, gland-headed hairs in seedlings, the midvein and major secondary veins strongly impressed, minor secondary and tertiary veins strongly to slightly impressed, quaternary veins impressed to ± flat, higher order veins flat, and the leaf thus clearly bullate, the surface appearing wrinkled-papillose to minutely papillose when dry due to ± dense druse crystals; abaxial leaf surface pale green, sparsely to moderately covered with a mixture of ± sessile to long-stalked, irregularly stellate-branched to dendritic hairs and minute-globular hairs, and usually with elongate-branched hairs along major veins, the hairs of higher order veins to 0.15-0.6 mm across and those of midvein and secondary veins 0.15-0.8 mm across, and often with a few to numerous long-stalked, gland-headed hairs on midvein and secondary veins, and sometimes even tertiary veins, the primary and secondary veins prominently raised, minor secondary and tertiary veins prominently to slightly raised, quaternary veins slightly raised to flat, and higher order veins flat.

    Description (cont.): Inflorescences many-flowered, paniculate cymes of (2 or) 3 to 5 branch-pairs, 4-23 cm long, 3.2-8 cm across; proximal segment of lowermost inflorescence branches 1-3.2 cm long, distal internodes of branches shorter, ultimate branches (2-) 2.5-7.5 mm long, and flowers, thus, well separated from each other, ± glabrous, or with very sparse to moderate, stellate-branched to minute-globular hairs, often also with very sparse to sparse, long-stalked, gland-headed hairs; peduncle 2.5-11 cm long, with similar indumentum; each inflorescence branch associated with caducous to tardily dehiscent, ovate to broadly elliptic to obovate bract, 6-36 mm long, 5-11 mm wide, the apices acuminate or acute to rounded, the lowermost pair often leaf-like; flowers in dichasia, well separated from each other, each subtended by 2 caducous to tardily dehiscent, broadly ovate to obovate, somewhat hooded bracteoles, 5.5-9 mm long, 4-8 mm wide, the indumentum of irregularly stellate hairs, their apices acute to rounded; bracts and bracteoles commonly associated with flower buds toward apex of inflorescence, even when lower inflorescence branches have open flowers or immature fruits. Flowers subsessile; pedicel 0-0.5 mm long. Hypanthium cylindrical, free portion 1.9-2.6 mm long, the outer surface with very sparse stellate and minute-globular hairs, sometimes with a few long-stalked, gland-headed hairs, often glabrescent, the inner surface glabrous and strongly 2-ridged, the apices of the ridges with apical projections to 0.1-0.2 mm. External calyx lobes 5, 0.3-0.9 mm long, 2.3-3.1 mm wide, broadly triangular, with acute to acuminate apex, glabrous or with indumentum similar to that of hypanthium; internal calyx lobes 5, 1.1-1.9 mm long, 2.3-3.3 mm wide, ovate-triangular, green to red-tinged, with stellate to minute-globular hairs (both surfaces), the apex rounded, the margin entire and fringed with branched hairs; calyx tube 0.3-0.65 mm long. Petals 5, 5.8-8.2 mm long, 4.4-4.8 mm wide, broadly ovate to obovate, glabrous or with few stalked, gland-headed hairs abaxially near base, white or greenish-white; margin entire. Stamens 10, geniculate; proximal segment 3.1-4.5 mm long, distal segment 4.1-5.7 mm long, with minute dorsal projection, the anther 3-3.5 mm long, with fertile portion of anther sacs 2-2.8 mm, the connective/distal part of filament extended 1.2-2.2 mm beyond the base of anther sacs. Ovary (4-) 5-loculate, ca 1/2-2/3-inferior, 3.6-4.1 mm long, 4.2-4.9 mm in diameter, ellipsoidal to obovoid, apically glabrous, clearly ridged, with slightly lobed apical projection to 0.2-0.5 mm encircling base of style; style 5.8-6.7 mm long, glabrous; stigma truncate. Berries 7.5-11 mm long, 7-13 mm in diameter, (ellipsoidal to) globose or subglobose, red when immature and turning pale blue at maturity, ± glabrous. Seeds 0.55-1 mm long, angular-obovoid; testa ± smooth to minutely roughened. Figs. 79-81.

    Habitat and Distribution: Puerto Rico, Cordillera Central, Sierra de Luquillo, and Sierra de Cayey; moist montane forests; 355-1335 m. Associated melastomes include Clidemia cymosa, C. hirta, C. strigillosa (Sw.) DC., Henriettea squamulosa, Leandra krugii, Mecranium latifolium, Miconia foveolata, M. laevigata, M. mirabilis, M. pachyphylla, M. prasina, M. pycnoneura, M. pyramidalis, M. racemosa, Tetrazygia crotonifolia, and T. urbanii; see also Gleason and Cook (1927).

    Phenology: Flowering throughout the year.

    Taxonomy and Systematics: Miconia sintenisii is a member of the bullate-leaved clade (see discussion under M. foveolata, and phylogenetic analyses). It is probably most closely related to M. howardiana, M. campanensis, M. xenotricha, and M. favosa, all of which have dendritic hairs on their abaxial leaf surfaces, and usually 5-loculate ovaries (Judd et al. 1995). The indumentum of M. sintenisii is not as distinctive as the other species of this group. It has sessile to long-stalked, irregularly stellate-branched to dendritic hairs on its abaxial leaf surfaces, while the other species listed above have mainly long-stalked, dendritic hairs. In addition, occasional gynoecia have 4-loculate ovaries in M. sintenisii. Based on a preliminary survey, it also can be distinguished from M. favosa, M. howardiana, and M. xenotricha by its stems with lignified (vs. unlignified) pith cells; Miconia campanensis has not been studied anatomically. Within this putative clade, M. sintenisii may be most closely related to M. howardiana and M. campanensis: two species that like M. sintenisii have long-stalked, gland-headed (to eglandular) hairs on the adaxial leaf surface, paniculate-cymes, and tardily deciduous inflorescence bracts and bracteoles (Judd et al. 1995). However in M. sintenisii, only the leaves produced on seedlings or young saplings have long-stalked gland-headed hairs on their adaxial surface, while these hairs are always present on the adaxial leaf surface of M. howardiana and M. sintenisii. Miconia sintenisii is distinguished from M. howardiana and M. campanensis because the long-stalked, gland-headed hairs, when present on the adaxial leaf surface, are not thick-based (vs. thick-based, and always present), the petals are 5.8-8.2 mm long (vs. 2.9-3.5 in M. campanensis, and 4.9-6.2 in M. howardiana), and the proximal staminal segments are 3.1-4.5 mm long (vs. 1-2 mm long in M. campanensis, and 2-3 mm long in M. howardiana). Besides the indumentum difference mentioned above, Miconia sintenisii can be distinguished from M. favosa by its 20-ridged (vs. 10-ridged) hypanthium, proximal staminal segments 3.1-4.5 mm long (vs. 1.2-2.3 mm) and distal stamen segments 4.1-5.7 mm long (vs. 2.9-3.8 mm). It can be separated from M. xenotricha by the additional characters: hypanthia 20-ridged (vs. 10-ridged), petals 5.8-8.2 mm long (vs. 2.2-3.5 mm), proximal staminal segments 3.1-4.5 mm long (vs. 1.1-1.5 mm), distal staminal segments 4.1-5.7 mm (vs. 2.6-2.8 mm), and ovary 3.6-4.1 mm long (vs. 1.7-2.5 mm). Miconia sintenisii, which is endemic to Puerto Rico, is geographically isolated from all of these Hispaniolan species. Miconia sintenisii is also related to M. pycnoneura and M. foveolata, which are also likely members of the bullate-leaved clade. The characters differentiating M. sintenisii from these two species are provided in the discussion under these species. All three occur together in the moist montane forests of the Sierra de Luquillo and bloom together, but hybrids involving M. sintenisii have not been discovered. Additional study of the reproductive biology of these species is needed. The flowers of M. sintenisii have been observed to produce nectar, which is held in the cup-shaped petals. These white to greenish white petals have glandular hairs on their adaxial surface, and these hairs may be nectar producing. Such hairs have not been found on the petals of other species of Miconia sect. Chaenopleura, and nectar production in melastomes is uncommon, and generally originates from undifferentiated cells on the adaxial surface of the filaments. The flowers appear to open in the evening, and attract bats (see Dent-Acosta & Breckon 1989, 1991; pollination and fruit dispersal.) An illustration of this species can also be found in Little et al. (1974, no. 611). The English common name is Mountain johnnyberry; the plant is also known by the general Spanish name, camasey.

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