Miconia biolleyana (Cogn.) Gamba & Almeda

Description

Description Author and Date: Diana Gamba & Frank Almeda, modified from "Systematics of the Octopleura Clade of Miconia (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) in Tropical America". Gamba, D., Almeda, F. Phytotaxa 179(1): 1-174.

Type: COSTA RICA. Bord de la route à Carrillo, 12 May 1890, Pittier & Durand 2537 (holotype: BR-internet image!; isotypes: BR-internet image!, CR).

Description: Suffrutescent herb or shrub 0.3–1.5(–3) m tall, rupiculous or terrestrial, diffusely branched and sometimes prostrate. Upper internodes [(2.2–)4.6–8.7(–14.7) cm long] and cauline nodes terete, nodal line present as a moderate ridge. Indumentum on branchlets, petioles, primary, secondary, tertiary and higher order leaf veins abaxially, inflorescence axes, bracts and bracteoles abaxially, pedicels, hypanthia, and exterior calyx teeth densely to moderately composed of sessile-stellate trichomes 0.4–0.8 mm in diameter that superficially resemble simple trichomes. Leaves of each pair frequently markedly anisophyllous (1:2); the petiole 0.5–2 cm long (on larger leaves) or 0.2–0.3 cm long (on smaller leaves), adaxially canaliculate, the channel obscured by the dense arachnoid tomentum, abaxially grooved, brown; larger blades 13.7–22.5 × 9.8–14.2 cm, broadly ovate to subrotund, the base rounded, the margin entire, the apex acuminate to attenuate; smaller blades 3.6–10.7 × 2.5–7.9 cm, ovate, the base rounded to somewhat truncate, the margin entire, the apex acuminate; chartaceous; mature leaves with adaxial surface glabrous, as well as the primary, secondary, tertiary and higher order veins; abaxial surface glabrous; 5- or 7-nerved (larger leaves) or 5-(7-)nerved (smaller leaves), including the tenuous marginals, with a thick-callose vesicular structure (acarodomatium?) formed at the base of the leaves abaxially where the innermost pair of secondary veins diverge from the primary vein, areolae 1–2 mm, adaxially the primary and secondary veins impressed, the tertiary and higher order veins slightly impressed to flat, abaxially the primary and secondary veins elevated and terete, the tertiary and higher order veins slightly elevated to flat. Inflorescences a pseudolateral dithyrsoid (3–)6–11 cm, including a peduncle (0.7–)1.64–3.6 cm or occasionally sessile, divaricately branched from the peduncle apex, when sessile bifurcate or trifurcate and openly branched from the base, each furcation with the same architecture as the pedunculate dithyrsoid, borne on the upper leafy nodes and on defoliated ones; bracts and bracteoles 0.5–1 × 0.25–0.3 mm, subulate, the bracts more or less erect, the bracteoles spreading, glabrous on the adaxial surface, persistent to tardily deciduous in fruit. Flowers 4-merous, subsessile to shortly pedicellate, pedicels to 0.4 mm long when present. Hypanthia at anthesis 3.2–3.4 × 0.75–0.85 mm, free portion of hypanthium 1.4–1.5 mm long, urceolate and constricted distally into a subcylindric neck, bluntly 8-ribbed, ridged on the inner surface, along with torus adaxially minutely and sparsely glandular. Calyx open in bud and persistent in fruit, green to pinkish; tube 0.2 mm long, abaxial surface with the same vestiture as the hypanthium, adaxial surface minutely and sparsely glandular; lobes 0.35–0.4(–0.5) × 0.8–1 mm, broadly triangular, the margin entire, the apex rounded to obtuse, glabrous on both surfaces and often obscured by the exterior calyx teeth; exterior teeth (0.5–)0.7–0.8 mm long, subulate, inserted at the base of the calyx lobes and exceeding them in length. Petals (1.5–)1.8–2 × 1.2–1.5 mm, oblong-obovate, with a minute projecting infra-apical abaxial tooth, the margin entire, the apex rounded-obtuse to somewhat truncate, white to greenish-white, minutely and distally papillose on both surfaces, slightly spreading to erect at anthesis. Stamens 8; filaments 1.3–1.5 × 0.25 mm, whitish, glabrous; anther thecae 1.8–2.5 × 0.35–0.4 mm, linear-oblong, obtuse to emarginate at the apex, opening by one dorsally inclined pore 0.1 mm in diameter, cream; connective cream-yellowish, its prolongation and appendage 0.2–0.35(–0.5) mm long, the appendage deltoid to orbicular, rounded at the apex, copiously gland-edged, the glands subsessile and rounded, sparsely distributed throughout the connective. Ovary 4-locular, completely inferior, 1.8–1.9 mm long at anthesis, the apical collar absent, the apex ca. 0.2 mm in diameter, slightly depressed, glabrous; style 3.2–3.8 mm long, parallel-sided (i.e. terete), glabrous; stigma truncate to expanded-truncate. Berries 3–4 × 3–4 mm when dry, globose, red to red-purple turning blue-purple when fully ripe, the hypanthium indumentum persistent at maturity. Seeds 0.39–0.43 × 0.17–0.19 mm, ovoid, angled, light-brown; lateral and antiraphal symmetrical planes ovate, the highest point toward the chalazal side or near the central part of the seed; raphal zone suboblong, nearly as large as the corpus of the seed, extending along its entire length, ventrally and longitudinally expanded, dark-brown; individual cells elongate, anticlinal boundaries inconspicuous; periclinal walls flat, microrelief punctate.

Habitat and Distribution: Miconia biolleyana has been collected in the understory of rain, cloud or riparian forests, where it has been considered fairly common in part of its range. It usually occurs on steep banks and slopes, or near riverbanks, at 600–1880 m from Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia where it is known from fewer collections.

Phenology: Collected in flower from March through April, June through August and in November; in fruit from June through March.

Etymology: The specific epithet is dedicated to the Swiss botanist and tropical plant collector Paul Biolley (1862–1908).

Taxonomy and Systematics: A distinctive species easily recognized by the 8-costate hypanthium, which is constricted above the ovary apex, arachnoid-stellate indumentum, foliar dimorphism at each node, and gland-edged dorso-basal appendage on each stamen. It is most similar to M. erikasplundii (see discussion under that species). It is also similar and most closely related to M. radicans, with which it shares the facultative rupiculous habit, similar vegetative and floral pubescence (arachnoid tomentum of sessile-stellate trichomes), and strongly dimorphic leaves at each node. It has a different leaf shape, especially in the larger leaves (broadly ovate to subrotund in M. biolleyana vs. elliptic-oblong and falcate in M. radicans), and flower dimensions (all floral characters smaller in M. radicans). The callose thickened structures at the abaxial blade base where the primary veins diverge from one another may be acarodomatia of some kind reminiscent of those also found, but not as conspicuous, in M. erikasplundii and M. radicans. The three species belong to the Quinquenervia subclade, and are more closely related to M. atropurpurea and M. neocoronata.

Conservation Status: Considered Endangered EN B2ab(iii) based on IUCN criteria (AOO). However, it is protected in Costa Rica but not in Panama or Colombia, which warrants a status of Vulnerable VU. Protected in Costa Rica in the Monteverde Biological Reserve, in the Alberto Manuel Brenes Biological Reserve, and in the Bosque Alegre Wild Life Refuge (Alajuela, the former also in Puntarenas); in La Marta Wild Life Refuge (Cartago); in the Braulio Carrillo National Park (San José); and in the Talamanca Sukut Indigenous Reserve (Limón).

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Images

Clidemia biolleyana: Photo taken in the field. (image/jpeg)

Clidemia biolleyana: Photo taken in the field. (image/jpeg)

Clidemia biolleyana: Photo taken in the field. (image/jpeg)