Tococa symphyandra (Triana) Cogn.

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Tococa symphyandra (Triana) Cogn.

  • Primary Citation

    Monogr. Phan. 7: 963. 1891

  • Basionym

    Miconia symphyandra Triana

  • 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: Colombia: Barbacoas, 1600 m, Triana 4102 (holotype K; isotypes BM, BR, COL[n. v.], P).

    Description: Shrub, to 0.5-1.5 (2.5) m tall. Stems with a mix of glandular and non-glandular setae, the trichomes 5-15 mm long, late caducous, the nodes glabrous. Petioles 2.0-14.0 cm long, densely pubescent. Leaves isophyllous to moderately anisophyllous, broadly ovate to cordate, 9.5-22.0 x 7.0-18.0 cm, apex acuminate to acute, base broadly round to cordate, adaxial surface sparsely to moderately setulose, the trichomes adpressed 0.5-2.0 mm long, abaxial surface moderately to densely glandular pubescent on the primary and secondary veins, the trichomes caducous, the surface between the veins fine-setulose, light green, with 3(-4) pairs of secondary veins, basally nervate in leaves without a domatium, plinervate on the leaves with domatia, with the secondary nerves diverging right above the apex of the domatium, membranaceous, crenulate to obscurely crenulate, ciliate; domatia often present, immersed in the leaf blade, globose to ovoid, clearly separated into two chambers, one on each side of the main vein, 1.2-2.2 x 0.8-1.2 cm. Inflorescence a terminal panicle of 8-15 (-25) flowers, 8-20 cm long, the axis green, terete. Flowers on pedicels 1.0-5.0 mm long, not flared at the apex, subtended by late caducous bracts, subulate to setiform, 1.1.5 x 0.2 mm; hypanthium campanulate, 2.5-3.0 (-3.5) mm long, glabrous; sepals broadly deltoid, hyaline, 2.0-2.5 mm long, calyx teeth mostly fused to the sepals, the subulate apex projecting beyond the sepals 0.25-0.5 mm long; the ring inside the torus with minute glandular trichomes. Petals 5, obovate, 6.0-8.0 (-9.0) x 4.0-5.5 mm, base truncate to obtuse, entire, smooth, glabrous, pink to white. Stamens all of the same size, the filaments 3.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow; laterally coherent (conniving) forming a ring around the style, the connective without a dorsal-basal blunt tooth, but the base prolonged into a retrorse triangular appendage 1.0-1.5 x 1.0 mm; thecae 2.0-2.5 mm long, opening by one terminal pore. Ovary 5-locular, terete, 1/2-2/3 inferior, the superior portion spherical, with a corona of short (up to 1.5 mm) glandular setae; style glabrous, 6.0-9.5 mm long; stigma truncate. Fruits globose, 3.5-4.0 mm long, black to deep blue, glabrous. The seeds not evident through the pericarp, truncate-obovate, 0.5-0.6 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, with sculpturing, anticlinal walls s-shaped, periclinal walls flat to slightly convex, boundaries between periclinal walls flat. Chromosome number n= unknown.

    Habitat and Distribution: Western Colombia and Ecuador. Common in the understory of montane and cloud forests up to 2000 m.

    Taxonomy and Systematics: Tococa symphyandra and T. croatii are obviously closely related taxa. They share the presence of connivent anthers and a triangular shaped appendage at the base of the anther connective. These species differ in their leaf pubescence and some specimens of T. symphyandra have ant domatia immersed in the leaf blade. It might be the presence of these domatia that made Cogniaux (1891) transfer this taxon from Miconia to Tococa. However, the morphology of the domatia of T. symphyandra is quite different from that of Tococa sensu stricto. The domatia are usually ventrally compressed and reduced, and the opening of the domatium is highly pubescent. Also the morphology of the androecium is different from that of any Tococa sensu stricto. However, these characters are not found in Miconia either, therefore the placement of these two species is problematic, as has already been recognized by Almeda (1989) when he described T. croatii.

  • Floras and Monographs

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