Clidemia urceolata DC.

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Clidemia urceolata DC.

  • 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: Shrubs 1-3 m tall, the branchlets, lower leaf surfaces, inflorescences, and hypanthia moderately stellate puberulous (the hairs sessile or short-stalked) and glandular setulose, intermixed with a sparse cover of simple hairs 2.5-7 mm long. Leaves 5-7-nerved, ovate to elliptic-ovate, 5.8-17.5 cm long, 2.7-7.5 cm wide, above moderately covered with a mixture of glandular hairs 1-2 mm long with simple and swollen bases, sparsely intermixed with stalked-stellate hairs, apex acuminate, base rounded to subcordate, the margin ciliate-denticulate. Inflorescence a pseudolateral paniculiform cyme 3-7 cm long; flowers 5-merous, sessile or with pedicels to 0.5 mm long, the narrowly oblong to lanceolate bracteoles 1-2 X 0.5 mm. Calyx lobes ovate to semicircular, 2-2.5 X 2 mm, the subulate exterior teeth 1.5-2.5 mm long. Petals white, glabrous, oblong to oblong-obovate, 4-6 X 2-4 mm. Filaments 3-3.5 mm long, anther sacs drying pale yellow, 2.5-3.5 m long with a ventrallly inclined pore; connective simple. Ovary 5-locular, completely inferior, the apical cone 1 mm high crowned by a stellulate puberulent to glabrous collar 0.5-1 mm long apically fringed with a continuous ring of glandular hairs; berry 6-7 mm diam, bluish-purple when ripe. Seeds granulate to tuberculate, dark brown, 1 mm long.

    Habitat and Distribution: Local, rain forest margins, low cloud forest. 0-820(-1165) m. Also in Cuba, Colombia to Guyana and Trinidad and southeastern Brazil. MEXICO: Chiapas (Martinez 16424, CAS); BELIZE (Bartlett 11300, CAS); EL SALVADOR (Sidwell et al. 762, CAS); HONDURAS (Davidse et al. 35138, CAS); NICARAGUA (Holdridge 6602, US); COSTA RICA (Davidse & Herrera 26298, CAS); PANAMA (Churchill & de Nevers 4276, CAS).

    Taxonomy and Systematics: Stevens 8573 (CAS) from Nicaragua is unusual in having upper foliar surfaces that lack the mixture of hairs with simple and swollen bases. Clidemia pustulata DC. is very close to and perhaps not distinct from C. urceolata. It supposedly differs from the latter in having shorter (0.4-0.6 mm) glandular hairs on branchlets, primary leaf veins below, inflorescences, and hypanthia, and shorter calyx teeth that project 0.5-0.8 mm instead of 0.7-2 mm. Central American specimens attributable to this species complex bridge these purported differences. Additional study of the problem from throughout the range of these species is needed before a judgment can be rendered about their taxonomic disposition. Neill 7277 from Chontales, Nicaraguan approaches C. pustulata (sensu stricto) but it lacks the characteristic understory of stellulate hairs on hypanthia, inflorescences and distal branchlets.

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

  • Sorry, no descriptions available for this record.