Clidemia quinquenervia (Mill.) 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.

    Description: Shrub 0.5-2(-6) m, the terete upper internodes and branchlets, petioles, primary abaxial leaf veins, and inflorescence axes covered with a dense indument of stipitate or subsessile clavate asperous-headed hairs. Leaves of a pair somewhat unequal in size, 10-24 x 5-15 cm, broadly elliptic to ovate, 5-7(-9)-plinerved, abruptly narrowed at the base and narrowly decurrent along the petiole, apex obtuse, acute, or short-acuminate, the margins ciliolate-denticulate, moderately to sparsely setulose or glabrate adaxially, sparsely and deciduously stellulate-furfuraceous and resinous-glandular on the secondary, higher order veins and blade surface abaxially. Inflorescence a modified pseudolateral dichasium 2-4 cm long, mostly divaricately branched from the base; flowers 5-merous on pedicels 0.25-0.5 mm long; the bracteoles subulate, persistent, mostly 0.5 mm long. Hypanthium bluntly 10-costate, deciduously resinous-glandular, occasionally with a sparse admixture of spreading simple hairs. Calyx vaguely undulate, ca. 0.25 mm long but concealed by the setulose exterior teeth that are 0.5-1 mm long. Petals densely papillose-furfuraceous on both surfaces with a projecting infra-apical, abaxial tooth, obovate-oblong, 0.75-1.25 x 0.75-1 mm. Filaments 1-1.5 mm long, anthers 1.5-2 mm long, yellow with a truncate to ventrally inclined apical pore; connective prolonged dorso-basally into a gland-edged spur ca. 0.25 mm long. Ovary 5-locular, completely inferior, apex somewhat depressed, minutely and deciduously resinous-glandular puberulent; berry compressed, initially white to pink-purple but turning blue-black, 4-5 x 2.5 mm when dry. Seeds 0.5 mm long, the testa smooth; 2n=34.

    Habitat and Distribution: Disturbed sites and river banks in rain forest. 0-700(-1400) m. Also in Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. HONDURAS (Nelson & Cruz 9345, CAS); N (Ortiz 47, CAS); COSTA RICA (Almeda et al. 3092, CAS); PANAMA (Herrera 265, CAS).

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

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