Clidemia globuliflora (Cogn.) L.O.Williams

  • 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: Costa Rica, Pittier 207 (BR!).

    Description: Suffrutescent herb or subshrub 2-7 dm tall, the terete uppermost internodes, young petioles, and inflorescence peduncle moderately to copiously covered with reflexed ± flattened barbellate hairs 3-8 (-10) mm long underlain with a sparse to dense deciduous mixture of soft appressed hairs and minute glandular hairs. Leaves of a pair ± equal in size; blades 9.7-16 x 5.5-11 cm, broadly ovate, 7-9-plinerved with the innermost pair of primaries diverging from the midvein 4-7 mm above the blade base, apex acute to acuminate, base rounded to subcordate, the margin ciliate-serrulate to subentire, the adaxial surface bullate and sparsely to moderately setose with smooth spreading hairs 0.5-2 mm long, the abaxial surface densely to moderately covered with appressed soft hairs on the primary and higher order veins and sometimes with a scattering of smooth spreading hairs 0.5-1 mm long on both the veins and actual leaf surface. Inflorescence a ± congested globular dichasium 3.5-6 cm long borne on a peduncle 5.5-9 cm long; flowers 5-merous on pedicels 1-2 mm long that are moderately to densely covered with glandular and/or soft appressed hairs; bracteoles lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 1.5-2 x 0.5 mm, glabrous on both surfaces. Hypanthium proper moderately covered with minute appressed glandular hairs that are deciduous on maturing hypanthia. Calyx lobes 1 x 1-1.5 mm, ovate to oblong-ovate, sparsely beset with smooth or somewhat barbellate spreading hairs 2-3 mm long like the interlobe sinuses; exterior calyx teeth subulate, 1-1.5 mm long with a sparse setose indument of hairs 0.5-1 mm long. Petals glabrous, pale pink to white, oblong to narrowly obovate, 6-7 x 1-2 mm. Filaments 2.5 mm long, anthers 2 mm long, yellow with a dorsally inclined pore; connective thickened dorsally but neither prolonged nor appendaged. Ovary 5-locular, completely inferior; apex glabrous, elevated into a low truncate crateriform cone. Berry pink then turning deep blue when ripe, 5 x 4 mm when dry. Mature seeds not seen.

    Habitat and Distribution: Infrequent to locally common in cloud forests and montane rain forest, often in deep shade. 900-2000 m. COSTA RICA (Almeda & Anderson 5417, CAS). (Endemic).

    Taxonomy and Systematics: Clidemia globuliflora is similar to and has been confused with C. spectabilis, which also has bullate setose leaf blades and a long-pedunculate inflorescence. In the latter, however, the hairs on distal branchlets and petioles are longer (5-20 mm) and widely spreading and the leaf blades have well-developed formicaria at the adaxial base. Clidemia spectabilis and its taxonomic synonym, Maieta setosissima, were erroneously synonymized under C. globuliflora in the Flora of Guatemala.

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

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