Clidemia davidsei Almeda

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Clidemia davidsei 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: Costa Rica, G. Davidse et al. 28374 (CAS!).

    Description: Lax shrub 1-3 m tall, the terete upper internodes, petioles, elevated primary veins of abaxial foliar surfaces, and hypanthia copiously to moderately covered with prevailing smooth (gland-tipped in part) spreading hairs 0.5-1 mm long with a ground layer of sessile stellate hairs. Leaves of a pair equal to somewhat unequal in size; blades 6.5-13.3(-16.5) cm long and 3-6.5(-8.5) cm wide, ovate to elliptic-ovate, apex acuminate, base rounded to obtuse, margin entire to inconspicuously denticulate, 5-7-plinerved with the innermost pair of primary veins diverging from the median vein 3-7 mm above the blade base, adaxial surface moderately covered with spreading smooth hairs and some glandular hairs 0.5-1 mm long intermixed with a scattering of stellate hairs on the actual surface and a concentration of stellate hairs on the impressed primaries toward the blade base, the secondary and higher order veins of the abaxial surface beset with smooth spreading hairs 0.5 mm long, the understory consisting of a very sparse scattering of stellulate hairs or the understory indument lacking. Inflorescence an axillary dichasia 1.5-2 cm long branched from the base and commonly paired at a node; flowers 5-merous on pedicels 0.5 mm long; bracteoles narrowly elliptic to oblong, apiculate and tipped with a short hair (otherwise glabrous), 0.5-1.5 X 0.25-0.50 mm. Hypanthia campanulate to suburceolate. Calyx lobes 1.5-2 X 0.5 mm, subulate, beset with smooth spreading hairs like the hypanthium, calyx teeth lacking. Petals glabrous, white, ± oblong, 2.5-4 X 0.5-1.5 mm. Filaments glabrous, 1.5 mm long; anthers 1 X 0.4 mm, yellow with a dorsally inclined apical pore; connective thickened dorsally but neither prolonged below the thecae nor appendaged. Ovary 5-locular, completely inferior, apex sparsely and deciduously glandular or stellulate-puberulent, elevated into a low truncate cone at anthesis but becoming ± flat or rounded on maturing berries. Berry blue-black or purple-black when ripe, 4-5 X 4-5 mm when dry. Seeds obovoid, 0.5 mm long, testa ± smooth.

    Habitat and Distribution: Local and uncommon in cloud forests, river and lake margins, and forest clearings. 1100-1750 m. NICARAGUA (Moreno & Sandino 7568, CAS); COSTA RICA (Almeda et al. 6637, CAS). (Endemic.)

    Taxonomy and Systematics: The elevation on a single collection from Costa Rica, (Williams et al. 28572), is given as 3200 m. I suspect this report may be erroneous and should be regarded with suspicion until this species is recollected at that elevation again.

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

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