Miconia howardiana Judd, V.T.Salzm. & Skean

Description

Description Author and Date: Walter S. Judd, 2010, based on Judd, W. S. (2007). Revision of Miconia sect. Chaenopleura (Melastomataceae) in the Greater Antilles. Systematic Botany Monographs 81:1-235.

Type: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Prov. Barahona: Sierra de Baoruco, Monteada Nueva, near Polo, 1400-1425 m, fl, 28 May 1986, W. S. Judd 5178 (holotype: FLAS!; isotypes: DUKE!, F!, FLAS!, JBSD!, MICH!, MO!, NY!, S!, US!).

Description: Shrub to 2 m tall. Indumentum of multicellular, ferrugineous, long-stalked, dendritic-branched hairs to 3.8 mm long, intergrading on hypanthium with stellate-branched hairs, minute globular-glandular hairs, and on adaxial leaf surface very thick-based, short-stalked (rarely long-stalked), eglandular hairs. Young twigs not ridged, square to rectangular in cross-section, becoming ± terete with age, 5-8 mm wide, the indumentum of sparse to moderate long-stalked dendritic hairs, and scattered minute-globular hairs; internodes 2-7 (-15) cm long; nodes with a few prominent lenticels, but lacking U-shaped flanges. Leaves with petiole 1.2-4.5 cm long, the indumentum sparse to moderate, long-stalked dendritic hairs and minute-globular hairs, especially in dorsal groove, blade 8-18.6 (-22.8) cm long, 3.8-9.3 (-12.5) cm wide, ovate to elliptic, flat, coriaceous, the apex acute to slightly acuminate, the base obtuse to slightly cordate, the margin plane to slightly revolute, serrulate to obscurely and irregularly serrate to base, ca 0% of margin entire, the teeth to 0.2-0.55 mm long, intergrading with a thick-based, eglandular hair, these ± persistent and difficult to distinguish from tooth, itself; venation acrodromous, ± basal, with prominent midvein and 6 secondary veins (2 or 4 of these quite conspicuous), with 2 most conspicuous secondary veins placed 8-21 mm in from margin, 2 less conspicuous veins placed 2.5-8.5 mm in from margin, and 2 inconspicuous ± intramarginal veins, and numerous percurrent tertiary veins oriented subperpendicular to midvein, the tertiary veins joined by several to numerous quaternary veins, and higher order veins ± orthogonal-reticulate; adaxial surface green (sometimes yellowish when dried), the indumentum of moderate, thick-based, short-stalked (rarely long-stalked), eglandular (very rarely gland-headed) hairs, scattered minute globular hairs, and also a few long-stalked, dendritic hairs along basal portion of midvein (these initially scattered over surface, but very quickly deciduous), the midvein through quaternary veins strongly impressed, quinary veins slightly impressed, and higher order veins slightly impressed to flat, thus delimiting raised areoles, especially toward margin, each containing 1 to few thick-based, usually short-stalked, eglandular hairs, i.e., bullate with lamina surface intergrading with thick-based hairs, the surface minutely papillose after drying due to presence of numerous druse crystals; abaxial surface light green, ± moderately covered with long-stalked, dendritic-branched hairs, these 0.4-1 mm long, 0.4-0.8 mm wide, also scattered with minute-globular hairs, and all hairs ± persistent, the midvein and major secondary veins prominently raised, minor secondary and tertiary veins moderately raised, quaternary veins slightly to moderately raised, quinary veins flat to slightly raised, higher order veins flat.

Description (cont.): Inflorescences many-flowered, open-paniculate cymes of 3-5 major branch-pairs, 4.3-13 cm long, 3-6.2 cm across; proximal segment of lowermost inflorescence branches 0.7-1.7 cm long, distal internodes of inflorescence branches shorter, ultimate branches 2.4-6 mm long, with sparse dendritic hairs, these sometimes limited to the nodes, ± glabrescent, and with a few minute-globular hairs; peduncle 3.3-9.4 cm long, with similar indumentum except that internodal dendritic hairs (if present) usually longer stalked; each inflorescence branch associated with tardily deciduous, ovate to obovate bract, 4-13.5 (-25) mm long, 3-8 (-10) mm wide, reddish, the apices acute or acuminate to rounded; flowers in dichasia, well separated from each other, each subtended by 2 tardily deciduous, obovate to elliptic bracteoles, 3-14 mm long, 1.5-8.5 mm wide, reddish, ± glabrous, their apices rounded. Flowers sessile or nearly so; pedicel 0.5-1 mm long. Hypanthium cylindrical, free portion 1.9-2.7 mm long, the outer surface with sparse dendritic to stellate-branched hairs, and minute globular hairs, inner surface glabrous and clearly 20-ridged, with 10 strong ridges alternating with 10 weaker ones, the apices of the ridges clearly projecting, to 0.2-0.5 mm. External calyx lobes 5, 0.2-0.9 mm long, 1.8-2.9 mm wide, broadly triangular, with apex acuminate (or acute), indumentum of sparse minute globular hairs; internal calyx lobes 5, 1-2 mm long, 2.3-3.3 mm wide, broadly ovate-triangular, green to reddish, glabrous, the apex rounded (obtuse), the margin ± entire; calyx tube 0.3-0.4 mm long. Petals 5, 4.9-6.2 mm long, 3.8-5.2 mm wide, broadly ovate to obovate, reflexed, glabrous, pink to rose; margin entire. Stamens 10, geniculate; proximal segment 2-3 mm long; distal segment 3.9-4.5 mm long, essentially lacking dorsal projection or with a slight dorsal bump, the anther 2.6-3.3 mm long, with fertile portion of anther sacs 2.4-3.1 mm long, the connective/distal part of filament extended 0.7-1.5 mm beyond the base of the anther. Ovary 5-loculate, ca 1/2-inferior, 3.6-4.7 mm long, 3.3-4.3 mm in diameter, subglobose to ovoid or obovoid, apically glabrous and clearly ridged, with toothed apical projection to 0.5 mm encircling the base of style; style 2.8-5.5 mm long, glabrous; stigma truncate. Berries not seen, but presumably globose and pale blue at maturity; seeds not seen. Figs. 84-86.

Habitat and Distribution: Hispaniola (Dominican Republic), vicinity of the easternmost peak of the Sierra de Baoruco: Loma Trocha de Pey (but usually called “Monteada Nueva” by botanical collectors in reference to a nearby coffee finca); moist montane forest; 960-1425 m. Associated melastomes include Calycogonium sp., Clidemia umbellata, Henriettea barkeri (Judd, 1986), Leandra lima, L. limoides, Mecranium ovatum, Meriania involucrata, Miconia alainii, M. dodecandra, M. subcompressa, M. tetrastoma, and Sagraea gracilis (Alain) Alain (see also Judd et al. 1995; Guerrero 1993; García et al. 2001).

Phenology: Flowering material collected only in May, August, and September, but probably blooming also in other months.

Taxonomy and Systematics: Miconia howardiana, a member of the bullate-leaved clade (see discussion under M. foveolata), has dendritic hairs on its abaxial leaf surface. Other species with dendritic hairs include M. campanensis, M. favosa, M. xenotricha, and to a lesser extent M. sintenisii, all of which are likely relatives of M. howardiana. Miconia howardiana probably is most closely related to M. campanensis, and both have distinctive thick-based, long-stalked, gland-headed to eglandular hairs on the adaxial lamina surface (vs. the lack of such hairs, at least in the adult leaves, in M. sintenisii, M. favosa, and M. xenotricha). Miconia howardiana is readily distinguished from M. campanensis by the characters listed in the key (see also Judd et al. 1995). These distinguishing characters include the potential apomorphies for each species, i.e., the consistently pink to red flowers of M. howardiana, and the non-cordate leaf bases of M. campanensis. In addition, Miconia howardiana lacks the distinctive nodal flanges characteristic of M. favosa, and it also has longer-stalked dendritic hairs on the abaxial leaf surface of the laminae. Miconia howardiana is separable from M. xenotricha due to its dendritic hairs (on the abaxial leaf surface) having longer and more slender stalks, leaf margins with smaller teeth (i.e., 0.2-0.55 mm long vs. 0.3-2.7 mm), flowers with pink to red (vs. greenish white) petals, stamens with proximal segment 2-3 mm long (vs. 1.1-1.5 mm) and distal segment 3.9-4.5 mm long (vs. 2.6-2.8 mm), and ovary 3.6-4.7 mm long (vs. 1.7-2.5 mm). Miconia howardiana is restricted the easternmost part of the Sierra de Baoruco, of southern Hispaniola, in a forested region occupying the summit of Loma Trocha de Pey, at ca 18 07.5’ N, 71 13.5’ W. This peak is separated from the remaining part of the Sierra de Baoruco by a slight depression, the Hoyo del Pelembito, and thus its high-elevation flora is fairly isolated from that farther west (Judd & Skean 1994b; Judd et al. 1995). This species is thus geographically isolated from M. campanensis, which grows in the Cordillera Central and the Sierra de Neiba (in northern Hispaniola). It is also geographically separated from M. favosa, which grows in the Massif de la Selle, Sierra de Baourco (west of the Hoyo del Pelembito), Massif des Matheux, and Sierra de Neiba, and from M. xenotricha, which is limited to the Massif de la Hotte. The geographical range of Miconia howardiana is apparently quite limited, and it has not been well collected. It would be especially useful to have collections with mature fruits. Until its description (Judd et al. 1995), M. howardiana had been confused with M. campanensis, M. favosa, or M. xenotricha (see also Judd & Skean 1994b).

Map Distribution

View all records of Miconia howardiana Judd, V.T.Salzm. & Skean

Objects

Images

v-249-01117405.jpg (image/jpeg)

v-249-01117430.jpg (image/jpeg)

00658709.jpg (image/jpeg)

Botanical line drawing of Miconia favosa, Miconia howardiana, and Miconia campanensis (image/jpeg)

Botanical line drawing of Miconia howardiana, Miconia favosa, and Miconia xenotricha (image/jpeg)