Tococa caryophyllaea (DC.) S.S.Renner

  • 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. Amazonas: Ega [now Tefé], Martius s. n. (holotype M).

    Description: Vine, to 2-4 m tall. Stems glabrous to sparsely setulose, the trichomes 1-2 mm long, caducous, the nodes glabrous. Petioles 1.5-3.5 (-6.0) cm long, very sparsely glandular setose. Leaves isophyllous, elliptic-oblong, 9-14 x 4.5-6.0 cm, apex round, abruptly shortly acuminate, base round to slightly cordate, the sinus up to 3 mm long, adaxial surface glabrous, abaxial surface glabrous to very sparsely setulose, with 2 pairs of secondary veins, chartaceous to coriaceous, entire, adpress- ciliolate; domatia absent. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, of 10-20 flowers, 5-20 cm long, the axis slightly flattened. Flowers on pedicels 2-4 (-5.5) mm long, articulated at the base of the hypanthium, abruptly flared at the apex, bracts unknown, perhaps early caducous; hypanthium conical, 8-9 mm long, glabrous; sepals obscurely 5-lobed, truncate, 1.5-2.0 mm long, calyx teeth absent; the ring inside the torus glabrous. Petals 5, obovate-oblong, 6 x 4.0 mm, truncate to slightly emarginated, pruinosus, glabrous, pink. Stamens all of the same size, the filaments 5.0-6.0 mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow, apically subulate; the connective with a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 7.5-9.0 mm long, opening by a upright to dorsally inclined pore. Ovary 3-locular, 1/4 inferior, the superior portion terete, the apex with a glabrous ring, 0.5-0.7 mm tall; style glabrous, 15-18 mm long; stigma slightly infundibuliform, 1.5 mm wide. Fruits globose, 10-12 mm long, black, glabrous. The seeds not evident through the pericarp, truncate-obovate, 0.8-1.0 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls flat, boundaries between periclinal walls flat. Chromosome number n= unknown.

    Habitat and Distribution: Known from S Venezuela, NE Peru and N Brazil. Growing in the understory of white sand forests.

    Taxonomy and Systematics: Tococa caryophyllea is an unusual species within the genus given its unique habit, which distinguishes it from closely related T. cinnamomea. For a detailed discussion of the history and taxonomy of this taxon, see Renner (1997). The original description of Truncaria caryophyllea cites the locality as Para, but the specimen is labeled as from Ega (now Tefé) in Amazonas state in NW Brazil.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Tococa caryophyllaea (DC.) S.S.Renner: [Article] Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2005. (Melastomataceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 98: 1-114.