Brachyotum lindenii Cogn.

Authority

Wurdack, John J. 1953. A revision of the genus Brachyotum (Tibouchineae-Melastomataceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (4): 343-407.

Family

Melastomataceae

Scientific Name

Brachyotum lindenii Cogn.

Description

Species Description - Trichomes smooth, slender. Branchlets quadrangular, sparsely to moderately strigulose, soon glabrescent. Petiole 1-5 mm. Blade 9-22 x 4-9 mm., narrowly ovate with the apex acute to blunt-acute and the base obtuse to subtruncate, the 3 primaries narrowly impressed above and elevated below, the 6-12 pairs of secondaries obscurely impressed or invisible above and very lightly elevated below; above glabrous to sparsely strigulose, the hairs to 5-6/mm.2 and with the basal 1/3-1/2 adherent; below sparsely strigulose on the primaries, the surface glabrous to sparsely loose-strigulose, the hairs to 8/mm.2, a cluster of glands at the base of each hair turning black with age. Flowers predominantly 5-merous, sometimes ternate but mostly with an additional pair at the node below the dichasial node, occasionally the dichasia ternate. Peduncle, at anthesis of the terminal dichasium, with the internode below the dichasium 6-15 x 0.5-1 mm. and strongly pendant; bracts at base of dichasium 3.5-7 x 1-3 mm., spatulate to leaf-like, in the 5-flowered inflorescences early caducous. Pedicel 3"10 mm. below bracteoles, 1-3 mmabove; pedicellar bracteoles 1-6 x 0.3-1 mm., linear to narrowly spatulate, very early caducous, above glabrous, below very sparsely strigulose. Hypanthium 4-6 x 3-5 mm., 0.3-0.5 mm. thick medianly, sparsely to moderately strigulose, the hairs (2-)5-10(-20)/mm.2 Sepals 4-8.5 x 2.5-4.5 mm., lanceolate with acute apices, united at bases 0.6-1.1 mm., the sinuses acute. Petals deep purple, 10-16 x 8-13 mm., obovate and slightly asymmetrical with the apices broadly obtuse to rounded, the non-glandular cilia 0.1-0.5 mm. (the terminal few 0.4-1 mm.). Filaments 4-6 mm.; anthers 4-6 mm.; connective at anther base (0.7-)1-1.7 mm., free of the anther 0.5-0.8 mm., the ventral lobing 0.3-0.7 mm. Style 15-22 x 0.5-0.7 mm., exserted 3-8 mm. Ovary 4.5"5.5 x 2.5-4 mm., sparsely to moderately strigulose on the apical 1.5-2.5 mm. with the hairs usually conic, the apical lobes 0.3-0.7 mm. above the locules.

Distribution and Ecology - Distribution: north central Colombia to northern Ecuador, elev. 3000-4200 m.

Discussion

Brachyotum riveti Danguy & Chermezon, Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. [Paris] 28: 433. 1922.

Brachyotum strigosum var. tolimensis Cuatrecasas, Trab. Mus. Nac. Ci. Nat. Madrid 33: 89. 1936.

Type Collection and Locality: Linden 925 (LECTOTYPE G-DEL; isolectotypes BR, K, P, W; fragments F); Colombia, Dept. Tolima, "prov. Mariquita ad Tolima," "hauteur 2000 toises."

Type Photographs: F16712 (destroyed syntype at B, collected by Stubei); F36922 (syntype of 8. riveti at P, Rivet 342).

In the packet of Sodiro 467 (BR) is B. alpinum, doubtfully from the same collection; this sprig may be part of Sodiro 466.

As has been noted in other species, the density of foliar pubescence is usually of no specific reliability, and in the case of B. lindenii and B. riveti, also of no varietal significance. All intergradations between B. lindenii, with leaves sparsely strigulose above and sparsely loose-strigulose below on the surface (Triana s.n. Bogota, Linden 925, Andre 817, Core 377, Andre 1075, Ewan 16330), and B. riveti, with leaves glabrous above and very sparsely strigulose only on the primaries below (Sandeman 111, Mexia 7492, Hitchcock 20792, Acosta 10546, Penland & Summers 866, de Gargantua 476, Schultes & Villaneal 7952, Sodiro 467, Drew E-289, Asplund 10393, Holmgren 878), can be found, even within some of the collections cited above. Of the 156 observable flowers among all the collections, only 15 were 4-merous (2 of 24 in Pennell & Hazen 9990,7 of 23 in Pennell & Killip 6567, 1 of 6 in Schultes & Villaneal 7952, 1 of 9 in Sandeman 110, 1 of 3 in Acosta 10546, 2 of 8 in Hitchcock 20792, and 1 of 11 in Penland & Summers 866).