Miconia chionophila Naudin

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Miconia chionophila Naudin

  • 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, Goudot s.n. (P).

    Description: Creeping or prostrate shrub with erect branches to 10 cm tall, the uppermost rounded-quadrate cauline internodes, petioles, inflorescence branchlets, and pedicels moderately puberulous with flexuous sparsely barbed or roughened and caducously gland-tipped hairs 0.25-0.5 mm long. Leaves of a pair essentially equal in size; blades 3-nerved, ovate to oblong-elliptic, 1-2.6 x 0.7-1.6 cm, apex acute to obtuse, base obtuse to rounded, the margin obscurely serrulate but conspicuously ciliate, the adaxial surface glabrous, the abaxial surface essentially glabrous but sometimes with a scattering of minute glands; petioles 0.5-2.8 cm long. Inflorescence a few-flowered dichasium sometimes reduced to solitary flowers; flowers 4-merous on pedicels 1-4 cm long, the tardily deciduous bracteoles linear-oblong to narrowly obovate commonly varying to subulate or nearly acicular, 1-5 mm long and 0.2-1.5 mm wide basally. Hypanthia glabrous to sparingly covered with inconspicuous minute glands, calyx tube 0.5 mm long, the calyx lobes broadly deltoid, 0.5-1.5 x 1-2.5 mm; the exterior calyx teeth triangular, 0.5-0.75 mm long, ± equaling or shorter than the calyx lobes. Petals white, glabrous, suborbicular, 2.5-3 x 3.5-4 mm. Anthers alternately very slightly unequal in length, 1.5-1.6 mm long, white, ± oblong, 2-celled and ventrally rimose at the apex; connective bilobulate ventro-basally, thickened and slightly elevated dorso-basally. Style sparsely glandular-puberulent at least basally; stigma peltate; ovary 4-locular, completely inferior, inconspicuously glandular-puberulous and ± truncate or somewhat depressed at the apex; berry ca. 5 x 5 mm when dry. Seeds oblong, the testa minutely but uniformly colliculate, 1 mm long.

    Habitat and Distribution: Local in páramo among rocks, gullies, and peat moss cushions. 3100-3550 m. Venezuela and Colombia south to Bolivia. COSTA RICA (Davidse et al. 26026, CAS); PANAMA (Gómez et al. 22662, CAS).

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

  • Sorry, no descriptions available for this record.