Tococa setifera Pilg.

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Tococa setifera Pilg.

  • Primary Citation

    Verh. Bot. Vereins Prov. Brandenburg 47: 177. 1905

  • Description

    Description Author and Date: Fabian A. Michelangeli modified from "Taxonomic notes on Myrmecophytic Melastomataceae: a new species, two new synonyms, and an old species reconsidered.". Michelangeli, F.A.; Brittonia. 66 (1): 82 9-85. 2013

    Type: Brazil. Amazonas: Jurua, Bom Fim, Dec 1900, Ule 5095 (holotype: B, destroyed [photo at F 16-2]; lectotype: designated by Fabian A. Michelangeli, 2013, HBG).

    Description: Shrubs or treelets, up to 4 m tall. Young stems flattened (in sicco), later becoming terete and hollow, the indumentum a mix of minute sessile glands, sparse glandular trichomes up to 1.5 mm long, and sparse stiff setae up to 3 mm long, later becoming glabrous; nodal line absent. Leaves isophyllous to anisophyllous; petiole 0.9–3.2 cm long, indumentum as stems; blades of larger leaves 17–31 x 7.2–9.5 cm, elliptic to oblong, membranaceous, the apex broadly acute to acuminate, the tip up to 3 cm long, the base obtuse to broadly acute, the margin deticulate to crenulate, ciliate, marginal setae eglandular 2–2.4(–3.5) mm long; secondary veins two pairs, plinerved in species with domatia, diverging at the apex of the domatia, or basally-nerved in leaves without domatia, the marginal pair much thinner, tertiary veins percurrent, slightly raised on the abaxial surface, quaternary veins reticulate, areoles 1.2–2 mm wide; adaxial surface flat, with sparse appressed eglandular or more rarely glandular trichomes, 1.5–1.8 mm long; abaxial surface flat, the surface glabrous, the primary to tertiary veins with dendritic trichomes up to 0.2 mm and sparse glandular trichomes up to 1.2 mm long; ant domatia present, fully to 4/5 immersed at the base of the leaf, 1.2–2.5 x 1–2.0 cm, ovoid, purplish; smaller leaves 20–60% reduced, often but not always lacking domatia, when present domatia reduced to merely vestigial. Inflorescences terminal, spicate, 6–9.5 cm long; peduncles quadrangular, fleshy and clearly winged, the basal-most 1–2.2 cm without flowers, with dendritic trichomes throughout, but these denser towards the apex; bracts 5.8–7 x ca. 1.2 mm, acicular, persistent; bracteoles 6.5–9(–11) x ca. 1.5 mm, acicular, persistent, with dendritic hairs along their entire length and glandular trichomes up to 3 mm long, these denser towards the apex. Flowers 5-merous, sessile. Hypanthia 7–8.2 mm long, 7.2–7.5 mm wide at the torus, campanulate, sometimes with 5 retrorse wings projecting opposite the calyx, 0.2 mm wide, external indumentum with a mix of dense dendritic trichomes (these caducous) and sparse glandular trichomes up to 3 mm long, internal surface smooth, glabrous, androecial fringe absent. Calyx open in bud, the tube 1.6–2.5 mm long at anthesis, the lobes 3-3.6 mm wide, broadly deltoid, indument as in hypanthium; calyx teeth 2.0–2.6 mm long, adpressed to sepals at base, and subulate at the apex, with dendritic hairs along the entire length and glandular trichomes 1.4-2.6 mm long towards the apex. Petals 10–13 x 6.5–8 mm, elliptic, spreading, pink at anthesis, glabrous, the apex round and slightly emarginate, the base obtuse, the margin entire. Stamens diplostemonous, isomorphic, flexed to one side of the flower at anthesis; filaments 7.2–10 mm long, glabrous, blue to purple, thecae 7–7.5 x 1.4 mm, blue to purple, straight, opening by 1 apical to ventrally-oriented minute pore, connective not prolonged but with a dorsal tooth up to 0.15 mm long, glabrous. Ovary 3-locular, 1/4 to fully inferior, the free portion projecting up to 1.2 mm long, truncate conical, 10-ribbed at the apex, with a mix of slender glandular and eglandular trichomes up to 0.5 mm long, the corona with a ring on simple and dendritic trichomes ca. 0.4 mm long; style 15–16 mm long, bending away from the anthers, densely tomentose, the trichomes 0.1–0.2 mm long simple and curved or dendritic; stigma capitate, 1.6–1.7 mm wide. Berries 14–16 mm long (immature), urceolate, the calyx persistent, blue, glabrescent. Seeds not seen.

    Distribution and ecology: Tococa setifera is known from the edges of rivers in Western Amazonia in Colombia, Brazil and Peru.

    Taxonomy and Systematics: During the preparation of my monograph of Tococa (Michelangeli, 2005), I was only able to see material of three collections that matched the photo of the type of Tococa setifera. Due to this paucity of material and the variation in inflorescence size and development within Tococa coronata Benth. and related species, I decided that Tococa setifera was best placed in synonymy under Tococa coronata (Michelangeli, 2005). However, recently I have been able to see a detailed scan of the lectotype and more material that matches the type of Tococa setifera, including open flowers and fruits, and fully developed inflorescences. These characters, in addition to the strong geographic coherence of the specimens that can be assigned to this species, have made me reconsider my assessment and I now consider the recognition of Tococa setifera as a separate species fully warranted. Tococa setifera can be easily distinguished from Tococa coronata by inflorescence morphology (spicate, with fleshy and winged axes vs. branched, with terete axes), and bracteoles (persistent, acicular up to 11 mm long vs caducous, lanceolate 1.0–1.5 mm long). The type of Tococa setifera was housed at Berlin [B] and it is presumed to have been destroyed during World Word II. The HBG specimen is believed to be the only extant type material and is [by Fabian A. Michelangeli, 2013] designated as the lectotype.

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