Miconia chiriquiensis Almeda

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Miconia chiriquiensis 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, Almeda & Nakai 3535 (CAS!).

    Description: Shrub or tree 2-4(-10) m tall, the internodes and ± terete distal branches, inflorescence, and hypanthia essentially glabrous but vegetative buds and young leaves commonly beset with a brownish furfuraceous indument. Leaves of a pairs equal in size; blades 3-plinerved (excluding the inconspicuous submarginal pair), elliptic, 3.7-7.5(-10) X 1.5-4.6 cm, the apex bluntly caudate-acuminate, the base acute, the margin distantly ciliate-serrulate, glabrous adaxially at maturity, punctate abaxially; petioles (5-7)7-18(-25) mm long. Inflorescence a laxly branched suberect to ± pendent panicle 4-6.5 cm long; flowers 5-merous on pedicels 0.5-1 mm long; bracteoles early-de¬ciduous, 0.5-1.5 mm long, linear-oblong. Calyx lobes (on fruiting hypanthia) persistent, glabrous, semicircular or depressed-triangular, 0.5-1 X 1 mm; calyx teeth persistent, subulate, ± appressed to and shorter than the calyx lobes. Petals white or greenish-white (rarely yellow), glabrous, suborbicular, 1.5 X 1.5 mm. Anthers isomorphic, about 0.75 mm long, white or yellow, ± infundibuliform to obliquely cuneate in profile view, 4-celled, shallowly emarginate dorsally, the pores oblong and ventrally inclined; connective sim¬ple, lacking prolongations or appendages. Style gla¬brous, 0.7-1 mm long; stigma subcapitate; ovary 3-locular, completely inferior. Berry 2-3 X 2-3.5 mm. Seeds ± pyriform, the testa papillate, mostly 0.7-1 mm long.

    Habitat and Distribution: Cloud forest, rarely in paramo. 1400-2600 m. COSTA RICA (Almeda & Anderson 5322, CAS); PANAMA (Aranda et al. 1397, CAS). (Endemic).

    Taxonomy and Systematics: Diagnostic features include the ciliate-serrulate, elliptic leaves that are caudate-acuminate apically, short (0.5-1 mm), linear-oblong, early-deciduous bracteoles, concave, suborbicular petals, geniculate fila¬ments, and minute (0.75 x 0.5 mm), 4-celled anthers.

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

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