Tococa gonoptera Gleason

Authority

Michelangeli, Fabián A. 2005. (Melastomataceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 98: 1-114. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Melastomataceae

Scientific Name

Tococa gonoptera Gleason

Type

Type. Peru. Loreto: between Yurimaguas and Balsapuerto, lower Río Huallaga basin, 26-31 Aug 1929, Killip & Smith 28902 (holotype NY; isotypes F, K, US).

Description

Species Description - Shrub, to 1-4 m tall; the younger stems quadrangular, with a mix of glandular and nonglandular setae, the trichomes 4-7 mm long, persistent, the nodes glabrous. Leaves isophyllous to slightly anisophyllous, with smaller leaves up to 25% reduced, elliptic to ovate, 13-22 X 9-13 cm, apex acuminate, rarely obtuse to round, base acute to obtuse, adaxial surface adpressed-setose, abaxial surface sparsely glandular-pubescent, densely hirsute to glandular-setose on the primary and secondary veins, light green, 5-nervate, occasionally the outermost pair very thin and inconspicuous, membranaceous, crenulate, ciliate; petioles 0.5-1.5(-2.5) cm long, with glandular and nonglandular setae; domatia free from the leaf blade, ovoid to elliptic, occasionally narrowly elliptic, 1.0-2.0 (-3.0) X 0.8-1.2 cm. Inflorescence a cyme, condensed and subumbellate, of 4-9 flowers, 2-5 cm long, the axis green, terete, usually terminal but quickly becoming axillary by overgrowth of the lateral meristem, occasionally axillary at the base of the younger leaves. Flowers on thin pedicels (less than 0.5 mm wide), 3-6 mm long, with small sessile trichomes, slightly flared at the apex; bracts absent; hypanthium conical, 5.5-7.5(-9) mm long, with 10 wings (0.2-0.5 mm wide) that run from its base up to the torus, the larger set opposite the calyx, projecting 2-4 mm from the surface of the hypanthium, the smaller one alternate with the calyx, the wings densely glandular-setose, glabrous in between; outer calyx teeth projecting upwards, subulate, laterally compressed, 2-5 mm long, glandular-pubescent, inner calyx teeth broadly deltoid, fused 3/5 to the apex, 5-6 mm long; the ring inside the torus glabrous; petals 5, obovate-oblong, 9-12 X 4.5-5.5 mm, base oblong to slightly attenuate, emarginate at the apex, the margins retuse, smooth, glabrous, pink; stamens all the same size; filaments 5-6 mm long, glabrous; anthers yellow; the connective with a dorsal-basal blunt tooth; thecae (4.0-)4.5-5.0 mm long, opening by a ventrally inclined pore; ovary 3-locular, 1/2-1/3 inferior, the superior portion broadly conical, the apex with a corona of short (1.5 mm long) setae; style glabrous, 9-11 mm long; stigma peltate, 2 mm wide. Fruits globose, with the calyx persistent and slightly reflexed, 6-8 mm long, black, glabrous between the hypanthium wings, glandular-setose on the wings; seeds evident through the pericarp, truncate-obovate to triangular, 0.6-1.5 mm long, without capitate trichomes in the raphal area, without sculpturing, anticlinal walls straight, periclinal walls convex, boundaries between periclinal walls flat.

Discussion

Tococa gonoptera is very similar to T. quadrialata, but it has 5-merous flowers. Unlike T. stephanotricha, in which both 4- and 5-merous flowers are found in the same individual, the number of petals seems to be fixed for T. quadrialata and T. gonoptera. For a detailed discussion of the affinities and systematics of T. gonoptera, see discussion under T. stephanotricha.

Distribution

E Peru in understories of forests from 100-500 m, occasionally up to 1200 m.

Loreto Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America|