Miconia caudata (Bonpl.) DC.

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Miconia caudata (Bonpl.) DC.

  • 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: Colombia, Bonpland s.n. (P!).

    Description: Shrubs or small trees 2-10 m tall, the branchlets, petioles, abaxial leaf surfaces, inflorescences, and hypanthia covered with a dense ferrugineous-stellate tomentum. Leaves 5-nerved, ovate or elliptic-ovate, (10-)14-20 X 6.5-10 cm, adaxially glabrous, apex caudate-acuminate with a drip tip 2 cm or more in length, base broadly rounded, the margin entire; petioles 2-6.5 cm long. Panicle 7-13 cm long; flowers 5-merous on pedicels 0.5 mm long in terminal glomerules, the early deciduous bracteoles narrowly oblong, 1-1.5 X 0.5 mm. Calyx tube about 0.5 mm long, the ovate lobes 0.5-1 mm long, exterior teeth inconspicuous, completely adnate to and not projecting beyond the lobes. Petals obovate-oblong, 2-3 X 1.5-2 mm, stellulate-puberulent abaxially and copiously papillate adaxially. Anthers somewhat anisomorphic, linear-oblong to linear-subulate, alternately 3 and 4 mm long, pink, the pore truncate to somewhat ventrally inclined; connective thickened dorsally at the base into a bluntly bilobed or trilobed semicircular appendage. Style glabrous, 6-10 mm long; stigma slightly expanded to capitellate; ovary 3-locular, 1/3 inferior, apex distended into an erose-puberulent stylar collar; berry 4-5 X 4-5 mm, purple-black at maturity. Seeds smooth, pyramidate and angulate, 1 mm long.

    Habitat and Distribution: Local and uncommon, margins of evergreen forest. 1100-1500 m. Colombia. MEXICO: Chiapas (Breedlove & Almeda 57026, CAS); GUATEMALA (Kellerman 6677, US); HONDURAS (Mejía 149, CAS); EL SALVADOR (Winkler 1965:356); N (Moreno 23496, CAS); COSTA RICA (Stork 4789, CAS); PANAMA (Allen 3734, MO).

    Taxonomy and Systematics: This species is very similar to M. donaeana Naudin which has leaves that are glabrous or only sparsely stellulate-puberulent beneath and somewhat longer linear-subulate anther thecae. The filaments, anther connectives, and styles of both species are often covered with glandular hairs.

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

  • Sorry, no descriptions available for this record.