Tococa ciliata Triana

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Tococa ciliata Triana

  • Primary Citation

    Trans. Linn. Soc. London 28(1): 133. 1871

  • 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: Venezuela. Amazonas: Caño Pimichín, Spruce 3715 (holotype K [photo at F 92-4]; isotypes BR, P).

    Description: Shrub, to 0.5-3.0 (-4.0) m tall. Stems with a mix of non-glandular setae 1.0-1.5 mm long, and a dense cover of furfuraceus trichomes 0.2 mm long, caducous, the nodes glabrous. Petioles 0.1-0.7 (-1.4) cm long, with caducous glandular setae and furfuraceus trichomes. Leaves isophyllous, oblong to ovate, 3-8 (-11) x 1-4 cm, apex acute to obtuse, base cordate, adaxial and abaxial surfaces with sparsely stellate caducous trichomes, the abaxial surface light green, with (1-)2(-3) pairs of secondary veins, basally nervate, chartaceous to coriaceous, entire to serrulate, slightly revolute; domatia 1/2 to 2/3 immersed in the leaf blade, globose, ovoid or narrowly ellipsoid, 1.0-2.5 (-4.5) x 0.8-2.0 cm. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of 8-20 (-40) flowers, 4-15 cm long, the axis green, terete, sparsely glandular setose, the trichomes caducous up to 2 mm long, often with furfuraceus caducous trichomes. Flowers on pedicels 1.5-3.0 (-5.0) mm long, not flared at the apex, subtended by caducous bracts, lanceolate, terminated on a glandular seta, 0.5-1.5 x 0.2 mm; hypanthium conical, 4.5-6.0 mm long, glabrous to sparsely stellate, rarely with sparse long glandular trichomes; sepals broadly deltoid, connate 2/3 to 4/5 of the length, 1.0-1.5 mm long, calyx teeth lanceolate to subulate with a broadening base, projecting 0.5-1.0 mm above the sepals, 1.0-2.0 mm long, glandular setose; the ring inside the torus glabrous. Petals 5, elliptic to oblong, 9-12 (-14) x 5-6 mm, base truncate to obtuse, emarginate, smooth, with a sub-apical seta, white. Stamens all of the same size, the filaments 3-3.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow; the connective with a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 3.5-4.5 mm long, opening by a ventrally inclined pore. Ovary 3-locular, 4/5 inferior, the superior portion terete, the apex with a skirt around the apex terminated in short glandular setae; style sparsely puberolous at the base, 7.5-9 mm long; stigma truncate to slightly funneliform. Fruits globose, 4.5-7.0 mm long, black, glabrous to sparsely glandular setose. The seeds not evident through the pericarp, truncate-obovate, 1.0-1.8 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls flat, boundaries between periclinal walls raised. Chromosome number n= unknown.

    Habitat and Distribution: Restricted to the S Amazonas State in Venezuela and the upper Río Negro in N Brazil. Growing in savannas and shrubby vegetation in areas with poor soils and occasional flooding from 50 to 150 m.

    Phenology: Flowering February to July.

    Taxonomy and Systematics: The phylogenetic analysis shows T. ciliata to be closely related to T. rotundifolia. However, these species are easy to distinguish both vegetatively and in floral morphology. Tococa ciliata has white petals, terete hypanthia, and sparsely pubescent leaves, compared to the red petals, winged hypanthia, and densely pubescent leaves of T. rotundifolia. All of the populations known of this species are polymorphic for the presence of domatia, even though in some cases the proportion of individuals that have this character is very low. The absence of domatia in some individuals seems to be a secondary loss, since T. ciliata is a member of the domatia clade.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Tococa ciliata Triana: [Article] Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2005. (Melastomataceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 98: 1-114.