Brachyotum figueroae J.F.Macbr.
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Authority
Wurdack, John J. 1953. A revision of the genus Brachyotum (Tibouchineae-Melastomataceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (4): 343-407.
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Family
Melastomataceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
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Species Description - Trichomes moderately and densely roughened. Branchlets obscurely quadrangular, densely hirsute, the hairs to 2 mm. long and a very few of them glandtipped. Petiole 2-3 mm. Blade 7-12 x 4-7 mm., elliptic to ovate-elliptic with the apex acute and the base broadly acute to obtuse, the 3 primaries impressed above and elevated below, the 8-10 pairs of secondaries completely obscured by the pubescence; above densely long-strigulose, the hairs 8-10/mm.2, each on a low bulla with the basal 1/3 of the hair adherent (to 0.3 mm. diam.) and the free apical portion rather abruptly attenuate; below very densely hirsutulous. Flowers predominantly 5-merous, ternate or with an additional pair of flowers at the node below the dichasial node, the persistent leaves subtending the dichasium slightly reduced, the peduncle not differentiated. Pedicel 1-3 mm. below the bracteoles, 2-4 mm. above; pedicellar bracteoles 2-5-3.5 x 0.2-0.4 mm., narrowly spatulate, persistent at least until anthesis, above glabrous, below moderately loose-strigulose. Hypanthium 7 x 5.5 mm., 0.3 mm. thick medianly, sparsely strigulose 7-12/mm.2 Sepals 5-5.5 x 4-4.5 mm., oblong-ovate with the apices broadly bluntacute, united at bases 0.4-0.6 mm., the sinuses acute. Petals "whitish," 10-12 x 7.5-9.5 mm., asymmetrically obovate with the apices obliquely truncate, the glandtipped cilia 0.1-0.2 mm. (the apical few to 0.5 mm.). Filaments 5~5.5 mm.; anthers 6-6.5 mm.; connective at anther base 1-1.3 mm., free of the anther 0.3-0.5 mm., the ventral lobing 0.5-0.7 mm. Style 24 x 0.6 mm., exserted 9 mm. Ovary 6.5 x 3.5 mm., densely strigose with gland-tipped hairs on the apical 3 mm., the apical lobes 0.3 mm. above the locules.
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Discussion
Type Collection and Locality: Macbride & Featherstone 2504 (HOLOTYPE F; isotypes G-DEL, NY); Peru, Dept. Ancash, "Catuc" 25 km. east of Huaras. Known only from the type collection.
Vernacular Name: Cotchkis bianco.
All of the 21 examinable flowers were 5-merous. Macbride apparently saw a few 4-merous flowers since he cited the flowers as 4- or 5-merous.
That B. figueroae should be maintained as distinct from the B. rostratum complex is extremely doubtful. The only character separating the species is the distinct development of anther tubercles in B. figueroae. Slight tendencies in this direction have been observed in the "trianae" element of B. rostratum (up to 0.15 mm. free of the anther). B. figueroae probably represents another degree of sorting-out of the complex between B. rostratum and B. rosmarinifolium.