Miconia krugiana (Cogn.) Majure & Judd

Description

Description Author and Date: Lucas C. Majure, Walter S. Judd, and Fabian A. Michelangeli modified from "Taxonomic revision of the Greater Antillean Pseudolima clade of Miconia (Miconia sect. Krugiophytum: Miconieae: Melastomataceae)". Majure, Lucas C., Judd, Walter S., Michelangeli, Fabián A.; Brittonia. 67 (1): 11--28. 2014

Type: Puerto Rico, Adjuntas, in sylva juxta flumen ad Junco, 24 June 1886, (bud), P. Sintenis 4642 (holotype: BR (BR519349); isotypes: A, CAS (CAS0003714), CORD (CORD00003622), F, GOET (GOET008048), GH, K (K000329533-K000329534), M (M0165768), MO, MSC, NY, US)

Description: Evergreen shrubs, 1.5–3 m tall; stems rectangular in cross section when young becoming round in age, internodes 1.2–8.9 cm long; nodal line present; stem indumentum of short, triangular to awl-shaped, ascending, appressed hairs to 0.6 mm long. Leaves opposite, decussate, broadly elliptic to ovate, bases rounded to acute, apex acuminate, strongly anisophyllous with larger leaves roughly four times the size grading to 1/3 larger than the size of the smaller leaf in a pair, 2–11.7 × 1.2–6.3 cm, 7-veined, with the outermost pair of veins intramarginal, margins slightly serrate through the development of stout arcuate, bulla-based hairs, veins impressed on the adaxial surface and raised on the abaxial leaf surface, innermost pair of secondary veins arising 1.7–10 mm above leaf base, 3.8–11 mm from leaf margin at midleaf, tertiary veins 3–6.5 mm apart, connected by quaternary veins; adaxial leaf surface covered with longitudinally compressed bulla-based hairs, these of large bulla-based hairs surrounded by small bulla-based hairs, not completely filling the leaf areoles, thus the lamina clearly visible, sessile to short stalked, glandular hairs present throughout the surface of the lamina, clavate-dendritic hairs produced from between the bulla-based hairs, especially along the primary vein and towards the leaf base, abaxial leaf surface covered with sparse, bulla-based hairs, as well as sessile glandular hairs, clavate-dendritic hairs produced at the base of the bulla-based hairs along the leaf margin, domatia absent; petioles 0.5–2.4 cm long, covered in appressed, ascending bulla-based hairs, and clavate dendritic hairs produce on the adaxial petiole surface and densely so in the petiole axils. Inflorescences terminal, produced on short shoots which are soon overtopped by lateral growth, long pedunculate forming a condensed cyme often appearing as a glomerulate head, of 4–9 flowers, 0.9–3.3 × 0.6–1.4 cm, peduncle 0.9–2 cm long, bracts 1.8–3mm long, ovate, bracteoles 0.5–1.3 × 0.2–0.3 mm, narrowly ovate; pedicels 0–0.5 mm long; flowers ± zygomorphic with the anthers mostly all to one side and the style on the opposite side, hypanthium 2.6–3.2 mm long, globose, covered in large arcuate, bulla-based hairs to 1 mm long, not constricted below the torus; calyx 5–6 merous; calyx lobes 0.8–1.4 × 1.1–1.3 mm; calyx tube 0.3–0.5 mm long, not tearing; calyx teeth 1.2–1.9 × 0.6 mm, round in cross section; petals 5–6, 3.9–4.9 × 2.8–3.7 mm, white to pink or red, obovate, asymmetric, clawed, with one apical hair, appearing as a cap–like structure, to 0.1 mm long, produced from the abaxial surface, and one to several stalked, glandular hairs on the medial-abaxial portion of the petal; stamens 10–12; filaments 1.6–1.8 mm long, white?, glabrous; anthers yellow, ovate, 1–1.2 mm long; anther thecae 0.8–1 mm long, opening by one dorsally oriented pore; style 3.1–3.4 mm long, glabrous, linear or slightly expanded in the middle; stigma punctate; ovary 5 locular, 1.5–3.5 × 2.6–4.1 mm, apex pubescent with delicate, bulla-based hairs, apex obtuse, crown present of needle-like hairs. Berries ca. 4 × 5.2 mm, color unknown, globose. Seeds obpyramidal, 0.7–1.1 mm long, testa smooth, raphe light brown, extending the length of the seed.

Phenology: Miconia krugiana flowers from May through August, although specimens are not available from September through November, so flowering time may extend into later months as well. Material collected from December through early March was sterile.

Distribution and ecology: This species is endemic to Puerto Rico and is only known from the Cordillera Central from 750–1250 m in elevation. It has primarily been collected in the Parque del Estado Toro Negro but also is known from the eastern part of the Cordillera Central in Cayey (Fig. 6). This species is more widely distributed than M. karlkrugii but is less common and more poorly known. Miconia krugiana occurs in dense, moist, broadleaved, montane forests commonly near streams.

Taxonomy and Systematics: Miconia krugiana is sister to M. karlkrugii (Fig. 2). Miconia krugiana is homogeneous morphologically, other than showing minor variation in leaf size across populations.