Miconia ravenii Wurdack

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Miconia ravenii Wurdack

  • 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: Mexico, Breedlove & Raven 12928 (US!).

    Description: Shrub 1-3.5 m tall, the quadrisulcate uppermost cauline internodes, petioles, inflorescence branches and bracteoles prevailingly covered with a mixture of barbellate and stalked-stellate hairs 0.5-1 mm long and a sparse and inconspicuous ground layer of minute glands. Leaves of a pair equal to subequal in size, the blade 7-9-plinerved with the innermost pair of primary veins diverging from the midvein 0.5-1.3 cm above the blade base, ovate to subcordate, 7-19.7 x 3.6-12.7 cm, apex gradually acuminate, base rounded to cordate but sometimes varying to obliquely obtuse, the margin ciliate and undulate-serrulate, the abaxial surface moderately covered with stalked-stellate hairs 0.5 mm long and a sparse ground layer of sessile glands, the adaxial surface copiously covered with spreading smooth hairs 0.2-1.2 mm long and sparsely underlain with very short-stalked glands; petioles 1.6-10 cm long. Inflorescence a multiflowered panicle 4-15 cm long; the flowers 4(-5)-merous on pedicels 0.5-2 mm long; the early deciduous bracteoles subulate, 1-2 x 0.5 mm. Hypanthium copiously covered with barbellate and stalked-stellate hairs 0.25-0.5 mm long. Calyx tube 0.5 mm long, calyx lobes depressed-triangular to oblate, 0.5-0.75 x 1 mm; the exterior calyx teeth subulate, 0.5-0.75 mm long and exceeding the calyx lobes. Petals white turning pink with age, glabrous, oblong-obovate, 3.5-5 x 2.5-4 mm. Anthers isomorphic, 3.8-4 mm long, yellow, oblong-subulate with a truncate to somewhat ventrally inclined apical pore; the connective thickened dorsally and prolonged ventro-basally into a caudiform lobe 0.2 mm long at the base of each anther sac. Style glandular-puberulent basally, 8-10 mm long; stigma punctiform; ovary 4-locular, 2/3 inferior, apex elevated into a low lobulate glandular-puberulent collar at anthesis that broadens into a shallow crateriform or ± flattened dome in fruit. Berry purple-black when mature, 4-6 x 4-6 mm when dry. Seeds ovoid, the testa smooth and uniformly rounded, 0.75-1 mm long.

    Habitat and Distribution: Local in secondary growth in cloud forest. 1900-2740 m. MEXICO: Chiapas (Thorne & Lathrop 41436, DS). (Endemic).

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

  • Sorry, no descriptions available for this record.