Clidemia trichosantha Almeda

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Clidemia trichosantha 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, Hammel 4133 (CAS!).

    Description: Slender shrubs 1-2.5(-4) m tall, the terete internodes glabrate at maturity, the vegetative buds, young leaves and uppermost branchlets moderately to densely covered with smooth eglandular spreading hairs 1-2(-4) mm long. Leaves of a pair usually unequal in size, elliptic, apex acuminate, base acute varying to obtuse, rounded or conspicuously oblique basally, 5-7-plinerved with the innermost pair of primary veins diverging from the midvein (0.6-) 1-1.6 cm above the blade base, the adaxial surface moderately to sparsely and loosely covered with smooth hairs 1.5-3 mm long and a very sparsely and inconspicuously brown-lepidote indument varying to almost glabrous, the abaxial surface moderately to copiously covered with spreading smooth hairs 1-3 mm long, underlain with a very scattered and minute brown-lepidote indument; larger blade at each node 5.8-14.3 x 2.5-5.8 cm; smaller blade 3-9.5 x 1.5-4.1 cm. Inflorescence a pseudolateral modified dichasium 1.5 cm long with flowers borne in pedunculate terminal glomerules; flowers 5-merous, borne on hirsute pedicels 1-1.5 mm long, the paired persistent lanceolate to naviculiform bracts and bracteoles 1.5-3 x 0.5-1.5 mm, often fused basally into a setose nodal collar. Hypanthia copiously covered with smooth spreading hairs 1.5-3 mm long throughout or distally at the base of the calyx lobes. Calyx lobes 1 x 1.5 mm, broadly triangular but often inconspicuous; exterior calyx teeth setiform, 1-2 mm long, sparsely hirsute. Petals glabrous, translucent white or greenish-white, elliptic-lanceolate with an acute apex, 4-4.5 x 1.5 mm. Filaments 2.5 mm long; anthers 1.5 mm long with a truncate apical pore; connective neither prolonged nor appendaged dorso-basally. Ovary 5-locular, ca. 2/3 inferior, apex elevated into a glabrous lobulate rim 0.25 mm high surrounding the stylar scar; berry lavender to purple at maturity, 4-6 x 4-5.5 mm when dry. Seeds 0.5 mm long, the testa smooth with verruculose angles.

    Habitat and Distribution: Local in cloud forests and rain forests, stream banks, often in deep shade. 325-1300 m. PANAMA (Almeda et al. 6491, CAS). (Endemic).

    Taxonomy and Systematics: This species is variable in inflorescence length and the amount of pubescence produced on foliar and hypanthial surfaces but the variants are otherwise identical in all other diagnostic details.

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

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