Tococa bullifera Mart. & Schrank ex DC.

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Tococa bullifera Mart. & Schrank ex DC.

  • Primary Citation

    Prodr. (DC.) 3: 165. 1828

  • Description

    Description Author and Date: Fabian A. Michelangeli, January 2010, based on Michelangeli, F. A. (2005). Tococa (Melastomataceae). Flora Neotropica Monographs 98: 1-114.

    Type: Brazil. Martius 6332 (holotype G, photos at F, NY).

    Description: Shrub or small tree, to 1-2 (-3.5) m tall. Stems with a mix of slender glandular setae and non-glandular setae, the trichomes 2.5 mm long, persistent, the nodes glabrous. Petioles 1-2.5 (-5) cm long, with glandular and non glandular setae. Leaves anisophyllous, oblong to ovate, the larger 12-26 (-33) x (4.5) 6-11 (-14) cm the smaller 6-12 x 3.5-7 cm, apex acuminate to shortly aristate, base acute, adaxial surface sparsely adpressed fine-setose, abaxial surface sparsely fine-setose on the tertiary veins, with a mix of sessile glands and non-glandular setae on the primary and secondary veins, with 2 pairs of secondary veins, basally nervate, the two exterior secondary nerves not as thick as the interior pair, membranaceous, ciliate, occasionally slightly ciliate-serrulate; domatia present in both or only the larger leaf of each pair, free from the leaf blade, ovoid to fusiform, 1.5-5.0 x (0.5-) 1.0-2.0 cm, often darker than the surface of the leaf blade, often strigose on the abaxial surface near the petiole and the midvein. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, of 8-16 (26) flowers, (3.5-) 6-17 cm long, the axis dark red to magenta, quadrangular and winged, the margin of the wing ciliate, up to 6 mm wide. Flowers on pedicels 4-9 mm long, compressed and slightly winged, not flared at the apex, subtended by bracts, lanceolate, 1.5-2.5 x 0.2 mm, persistent until anthesis; hypanthium broadly conical to globose, 4.5-6.0 (-7.0) mm long, with 12-15 obscurely raised veins that run from the base of the hypanthium to the base of the calyx, glabrous to glandular setose; sepals deltoid to ovate, fused at the base 2/3 of the length, glandular setose, 0.8-1.2 mm long, calyx teeth reduced, 0.2-1.0 mm long, glandular setose; the ring inside the torus glabrous. Petals 5, obovate, 4.5-6.5 x 3.0-4.0 mm, base truncate to obtuse, apex emarginated to obtuse, border entire, often undulate, smooth to finely pruinosus, glabrous, pink. Stamens all of the same size, the filaments 4.0-5.0 (-5.5) mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow; the connective with a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 4.5-5.0 mm long, opening by a ventrally inclined pore. Ovary 3-locular, 1/2 to 1/4 inferior, the superior portion globose to broadly conical, the apex with a ring elevated 0.1-0.5 mm, the ring densely pilose or with a corona of long glandular setae; style glabrous, 7.5-9 (-11) mm long; stigma peltate to capitate, 1.5-2.0 mm wide. Fruits globose, (4.5-) 6.0-9.0 mm long, black, sparsely glandular setose. The seeds not evident through the pericarp, triangular, 0.8-1.9 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls convex, boundaries between periclinal walls flat. Chromosome number n= unknown.

    Habitat and Distribution: Throughout the Amazon and Río Negro basins, in S Venezuela, Brazil and NE Peru. Growing in the understory of Tierra firme forest and near creeks, 50 to 150 m.

    Phenology: Flowering year round, but peaking in the rainy season.

    Taxonomy and Systematics: Tococa bullifera is obviously related to T. guianensis, although the distinction between the two species is not always clear. However, T. bullifera can be recognized on the basis of its racemose inflorescences and the obvious veins on the hypanthium, which are lacking in T. guianensis. Additionally, the inflorescence is quadrangular and winged. The leaves of T. bullifera are also thinner than those usually found in T. guianensis, but due to the subjective nature of this character, it cannot be employed in a key. Tococa bullifera usually grows in more shaded and less disturbed environments that T. guianensis. The original description cited the ovary as 5-celled, but the dissections performed during the present study revealed only 3-celled ovaries.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Tococa bullifera Mart. & Schrank ex DC.: [Article] Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2005. (Melastomataceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 98: 1-114.