Ossaea loligomorpha R.Goldenb. & Reginato

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Ossaea loligomorpha R.Goldenb. & Reginato

  • Primary Citation

    J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 136: 298 (-301, fig. 3). 2009

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Isotype -- A. M. Amorim 6877

  • Description

    Description Author and Date: Renato Goldenberg, Oct. 2011, modified from original description, Goldenberg, R. & M. Reginato. 2009. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 136(3): 293-301.

    Type: Brazil. Bahia, Itamaraju, Serra de Itamaraju, Morro Pescoço, 16°59'13" S and 39°36'3" W, 11 Feb 2007, fl., fr., Amorim et al. 6877 (holotype: CEPEC; isotype: UPCB).

    Description: Treelet 3 m tall; branches, petioles, leaves, inflorescences, bracts and bracteoles covered by appressed, unbranched trichomes 0.5-2 mm, these sparser on the old branches and the leaf surfaces. Branches terete and decorticating with age. Leaves opposite, isophyllous to slightly anisophyllous in each pair; petioles 0.6-3.2 cm long; blades 4.5-11.1 × 1.4-3.3 cm, elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, apex acuminate, base acute to slightly obtuse, margin crenulate, ciliate (0.3-1.5 mm long), subchartaceous, slightly discolorous in dried materials, acrodromous, with 3 main nerves, sometimes with an additional faint pair of marginals, the inner pair supra-basal, distant 1-6.5 mm from the base, main and transverse veins and reticulation slightly prominent on both surfaces. Inflorescences or flowers mostly axillary, but sometimes also with an apical unit; flowers solitary, on triads, depauperate triads on anthopodia 0.2-0.4mm, or seldom on depauperate cymes 15-30 mm long, pauciflorous (1-5-flowered), without accessory branches, with 0-1 pair of opposite paraclades, these usually 1-flowered or with a triad; bracts two, 1.8-2.1 mm long, oval-lanceolate, entire; bracteoles two, 1.4-1.7 mm long, lanceolate, entire. Flowers 5(-6)-merous, sessile. Hypanthium 4-5 × 1.2-1.6 mm, narrowly tubular, outside densely covered by the same trichomes as the branches, internal surface glabrous but sometimes the torus with very sparse, small glandular trichomes (0.5 mm). Calyx tube 0.2-0.3 mm long; inner lobes 0.8-1.2 mm long, deltoid to triangular, both tube and lobes outside with the same trichomes as the hypanthium; external teeth 6-6.5 mm long, linear-subulate. Petals 3.4-4 × 0.7-0.9 mm, white, linear-lanceolate, acute, entire, eciliate, glabrous. Stamens isomorphic, glabrous; filaments 2-2.7 mm long; connectives unappendaged, dorsally thickened and produced or not below the anthers for up to 0.2 mm; anthers 2.8-3.7 mm long, linear-subulate, dorsally arcuate, with one apical pore. Ovary 2-2.4 x 0.5-0.7 mm, basally 1-1.2 mm adhering to the hypanthium, 3-celled, apex with sparse, simple trichomes (ca. 0.5 mm long); style 8-10 mm long, linear, glabrous. Berries ca. 12 × 6 mm, dark violet; seeds ca. 0.75 × 0.5 mm, yellow, long-pyramidal, sometimes with a small protuberance adjacent to the raphe apex, raphe with ca. 0.8 length, testa finely granulate. (Fig. 3, Fig. 4. C-D)

    Habitat and Distribution: Ossaea loligomorpha has been collected only once, at about 800 m above sea level (A.Amorim, pers. com.). It grows in a montane wet forest (Floresta Ombrófila Densa, following the Brazilian classification, IBGE 1992), among granitic outcrops, in depressions that follows what seem to be temporary streams. The area where this species was collected has been proposed as a protected Conservation Unit by the Brazilian Government (Natural Monument - MONA - of the "Serras de Itamaraju"). At present it is unprotected, but is not seriously threatened by human activities.

    Taxonomy and Systematics: The placement of this species in the genus Ossaea follows the traditional rationale. Plants with apically acute petals and predominantly axillary inflorescences are placed in Ossaea, whereas plants with apical or pseudo-apical inflorescences (i.e., apical inflorescences that are overtopped by axillary branches growing while the inflorescence is still developing) should be placed in Leandra. Recent phylogenetic studies showed that the Eastern Brazilian species of Ossaea are nested in a clade that is made up mostly by species of Leandra (Martin et al. 2008; Goldenberg et al. 2008), suggesting that these genera could be rearranged in the future, with some species from Ossaea transfered to Leandra. Within Ossaea, O. loligomorpha differs from several species from eastern and central Brazil (following Souza 1997 and 2002) by the absence of stellate-furfuraceous trichomes mixed with the unbranched ones on the young stems, or by the absence of glandular-furfuraceous trichomes on petals and lower leaf surface. The species with the stellate-furfuraceous trichomes are O. sulbahiensis M.D.R.Souza, O. cabraliensis (Wurdack) M.D.R.Souza, O. fragilis Cogn., O. sanguinea Cogn., O. marginata (Desr.)Triana, O. amygdaloides (DC.)Triana and O. confertiflora (DC.)Triana). The species with glandular-furfuraceous trichomes are O. coriacea (Naudin)Triana and O. cinnamomifolia (Naudin)Triana. Within the species in the same geographical range that also lack stellate and glandular trichomes on leaves and petals, O. suprabasalis R.Goldenb. & Reginato, O. cogniauxii Glaziou ex M.D.R.Souza, O. angustifolia (DC.)Triana, O. congestiflora (Naudin)Cogn. and O. warmingiana Cogn. have smaller external calyx teeth (up to 3.5 mm long) and wider, campanulate hypanthia, while O. consimilis M.D.R.Souza, has glomerulate inflorescences, glabrous torus and 3-locular ovary.

    Etymology: "Loligo" is the latin name for squid (Mollusca, Cephalopoda, Order Teuthida A. Naef, 1916b), to which O. loligomorpha's fruits and hypanthium plus calyx strongly resemble.

  • Sorry, no descriptions available for this record.