Tococa pauciflora Spruce ex Triana

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Tococa pauciflora Spruce ex Triana

  • Primary Citation

    Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 28: 131. 1871

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Isotype -- R. Spruce 3522, verif. F. A. Michelangeli, 2000

  • 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: Río Guainía, above mouth of Río Casiquiare, Spruce 3522 (holotype K; isotypes BM, BR, NY, P).

    Description: Shrub, to 2.5-3.0 m tall. Stems sparsely setose, the trichomes 0.5 mm long, caducous, the nodes glabrous. Petioles 0.8-2.0 cm long, sparsely glandular setose. Leaves anisophyllous, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, the apex acuminate, the large ones 10-18 x 2.5-4.0 cm, base acute, the smaller ones 5-7 x 1.5-3 cm, the base obtuse, adaxial surface adpressed-setose, abaxial surface sparsely setose, light green, with 1-2 pairs of secondary veins, basally nervate, membranaceous, entire; domatia free from the leaf blade, ovoid to fusiform, flattened on the abaxial surface, 1.5-2.0 x 0.8-1.3 cm. Inflorescence a terminal panicle, of 3-8 flowers, 3-5 cm long, the axis flattened, sparsely glandular setose. Flowers on pedicels 10-12 mm long, not flared at the apex; hypanthium conical, with 5 wings that run from the base of the hypanthium up to the torus, 5.5-6 mm long, essentially glabrous, but densely glandular setose in the wings; sepals ovate, fused at the base 1/2 of the total length, glabrous, 1.2-1.5 mm long, calyx teeth lanceolate to subulate, with a broadening base, projecting up to 1.5 mm above the sepals; the ring inside the torus glabrous. Petals 5, oblong, 9.0-9.5 x 4.0 mm, base oblong to slightly attenuate, emarginate, smooth, setulose at the apex. Stamens all of the same size, the filaments 4.0 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, 1/3 inferior, the superior portion broadly conical, the apex with a corona of short glandular setae; style glabrous, 9 mm long; stigma funneliform, papillate. Fruits unknown. Seeds unknown. Chromosome number n= unknown.

    Habitat and Distribution: Rarely collected in the forests of S Colombia and S Venezuela.

    Taxonomy and Systematics: Tococa pauciflora is known from one collection, in addition to the type. Due to the lack of material, this species was not included in the cladistic analysis. Based on floral morphology, T. pauciflora seems to be related to T. stenoptera and the remaining species with winged hypanthia, with the exception of T. rotundifolia. However, leaf and domatia morphology resembles the species of the T. coronata clade. The number of the type collection is 3522 and not 2522 as cited by Triana (1871) and Cogniaux (1885; 1888; 1891).

  • Floras and Monographs

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