Clidemia folsomii Almeda

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Clidemia folsomii Almeda

  • 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: Panama, F. Almeda et al. 6488 (CAS!).

    Description: Little-branched subshrub 1-2 m tall, the terete uppermost internodes, petioles, adaxial foliar surfaces, elevated primary veins on abaxial foliar surfaces, inflorescence rachis, bracts, bracteoles, pedicels, hypanthia, and calyx teeth moderately covered with smooth (mostly gland-tipped) spreading hairs 1-2.5 mm long with an understory of sessile or stipitate-stellate hairs. Leaves of a pair somewhat unequal in size, consistently bearing paired elongate formicaria 3.5-7.5 cm long extending from the blade base onto the upper portions of the petiole; blades 11-26.5 cm long and 7.5-21 cm wide, cordate varying to ovate, apex caudate-acuminate, base broadly cordate, margin denticulate to crenulate (at least distally) varying to subentire, 7-9-nerved or -plinerved with the innermost primary pair diverging up to 2 cm above the blade base, the secondary and higher order veins moderately covered with ± sessile or subsessile stellate hairs. Inflorescence axillary, laxly branched paniculiform dichasia 6-13 cm long typically paired at a node; flowers 5-merous, subsessile or on pedicles to 1 mm long; bracteoles linear-oblong, 0.5-1 mm long and 0.25 mm wide at the middle. Hypanthia (at anthesis) urceolate. Calyx calyx lobes broadly triangular, 1.5 X 1.5 mm, collectively spreading and bowl-like; calyx teeth subulate, 1.5 mm long, exceeding and obscuring the calyx lobes. Petals glabrous, translucent white, pink, or white tinged with pink or purple, narrowly obovate to oblong, 3-4.5 X 1.5-2.5 mm. Filaments glabrous, 2 mm long; anthers 1-1.5 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, white, emarginate at the apex with a dorsally inclined pore; connective thickened dorsally and prolonged dorso-basally into a blunt spur ca. 0.2 mm long. Ovary 5-locular, completely inferior; apex elevated into a low ± truncate dome surrounding the stylar scar, minutely glandular-puberulent like the adaxial vascular ring of the hypanthium. Berry blue at maturity, 6 X 6 mm. Seeds obovoid to ± triangular in outline with a verruculose to rugulate testa, 0.5 mm long.

    Habitat and Distribution: Cloud forests, elfin forests, and stream banks. 800-1300 m. PANAMA (Croat 49152, CAS). (Endemic.)

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

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