Tococa cinnamomea Triana

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Tococa cinnamomea 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: Humid forest near San Carlos, Spruce 3098 (holotype K; isotype BR).

    Description: Shrub, often procumbent, 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 cm long, very sparsely glandular setose. Leaves isophyllous, elliptic-oblong to narrowly oblong, 9-22 x 4.5-9.0 cm, apex acuminate, occasionally obtuse, 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, basally nervate, occasionally the outermost pair of secondary veins inconspicuous, chartaceous to coriaceous, entire, adpress-ciliolate; domatia absent. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, of 4-9 flowers, 5-15 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, 6-7 x 4.0-4.5 mm, truncate to slightly emarginated, pruinosus, glabrous, pink. Stamens all of the same size, the filaments 5.0-5.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow apically subulate; the connective with a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae 8.0-9.0 mm long, opening by a 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, 16 mm long; stigma slightly infundibuliform, 1.5 mm wide. Fruits globose, 11-12 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 only from a few collections from S Venezuela and N Brazil, along the Río Negro, at 100-150 m.

    Taxonomy and Systematics: Tococa cinnamomea is a rare species, which has been seldom collected, and it is obviously related to T. caryophyllea, given their similarities in floral and seed morphology. However they differ in their habit and inflorescence. The type locality of San Carlos de Río Negro is in Venezuela, and not in Brazil as cited in the original description.

  • Floras and Monographs

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