Miconia sparrei Wurdack

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Miconia sparrei Wurdack

  • Description

    Description Author and Date: Frank Almeda, based on Almeda, F. (2009). Melastomataceae. In: G. Davidse, M. Sousa-Sânchez, S. Knapp, & F. Chiang (eds.), Flora Mesoamericana: Cucurbitaceae a Polemoniaceae. 4(1): 164-338.

    Type: Holotype: Ecuador, Sparre 19290 (S!).

    Description: Shrub or small tree 4-8 m tall, the rounded-quadrate uppermost cauline internodes (densely), petioles (moderately), and inflorescence branches (densely) setose with spreading ± flattened barbellate hairs 2-9 mm long. Leaves of a pair somewhat unequal in size; the blades 5-plinerved (often with an additional inframarginal pair of veins extending half to 2/3 up the length of the blade), the innermost pair of primary veins diverging 1.5-3.3 cm above the blade base, oblong-elliptic to elliptic-obovate, 30-55.5 x 13-28 cm, the apex short-acuminate, the base obtuse, the margin denticulate, the abaxial blade surface essentially glabrous, the adaxial surface sparsely to moderately covered with spreading roughened or barbellate hairs on the primary and secondary veins but glabrous on the venules and actual surface; petioles 3-5.5 cm long. Inflorescence a multiflowered panicle 15-30 cm long with 5-merous sessile flowers borne in glomerules at the ends of the branchlets; the persistent narrowly triangular bracteoles 2-5 x 0.75-2 mm with stramineous crisped hairs at or near the base. Hypanthium sparsely stellulate-puberulent. Calyx tube 0.5 mm long, the deltoid calyx lobes 0.25 x 1 mm; the exterior calyx teeth small thickened callosities ca. 0.5 mm long that essentially obscure the calyx lobes. Petals white, distinctly but minutely papillose abaxially and along the distal half adaxially, 2.5-4 x 1-1.8 mm. Anthers somewhat dimorphic, linear-oblong; the thecae alternately 2 and 2.3-2.4 mm long with a ventrally inclined apical pore; the connective not prolonged abaxially the thecae but enlarged at the base of each anther sac and fringed with conspicuous glands. Style glabrous, 6 mm long; stigma ± truncate to barely expanded; ovary 3-locular, 1/3 inferior, apex elevated into a low stellate-puberulent collar. Berry 4 x 5 mm when dry, reportedly yellow turning black at maturity. Seeds ¬± triangular with an angulate convex face, the testa smooth and glossy, 1.5 mm long.

    Habitat and Distribution: Rare in lowland rainforest. 30-150 m. Ecuador and Peru. COSTA RICA (Zamora et al. 2451, CAS).

    Taxonomy and Systematics: This species was originally described from lowland Amazonian Ecuador and until now was known only from the type specimen. Its discovery in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica may seem surprising but it is not unusual in view of distribution patterns seen elsewhere in the family. Wurdack (1980) noted a recurrent distributional pattern among Ecuadorian Melastomataceae that includes Costa Rica-Panama, western Colombia, and the lower eastern slopes of the Andes.

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

  • Sorry, no descriptions available for this record.