Miconia lamprophylla Triana

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Miconia lamprophylla Triana

  • Primary Citation

    Trans. Linn. Soc. London 28: 108. 1871

  • 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.

    Type: Holotype: Colombia, Triana 4033 (BM!).

    Description: Shrubs 1-4 m tall, the young branchlets, vegetative buds, inflorescences, and hypanthia sparsely and deciduously stellulate-furfuraceous. Leaves 3-nerved (excluding the ill-defined inframarginal pair), elliptic to elliptic-ovate, 12-39 X 6.5-20.5 cm, glabrous adaxially and abaxially, apex acuminate, base acute to obtuse, the margin entire; petioles 1.5-4.5 cm long. Panicle 8-15(-19) cm long typically bearing 3 primary branches, the 5-merous flowers sessile and crowded on short (ca. 0.5 cm) secondary branchlets but becoming secund on the elongated branchlets (to 3 cm) of the infructescence, the early-deciduous setiform bracteoles 0.25 mm long. Calyx closed in bud but rupturing regularly at anthesis into 5 rounded-ovate lobes ca. 0.5-0.7 mm long, the early-deciduous exterior teeth 0.25 mm long. Petals oblong densely granulose-papillose, 1-1.5 X 0.5 mm. Stamens isomorphic; anthers oblong, white, 1.5-2 mm long with a dorsally inclined pore; connective thickened dorsally but neither prolonged nor appendaged. Style glabrous, 3-5 mm long; stigma nor or barely expanded; ovary 5-locular, 1/2 inferior, apex elevated into a gently fluted glandular-puberulent collar; berry 4-6 X 4-6 mm, blue at maturity. Seeds ovoid, rounded and smooth, 0.5 mm long.

    Habitat and Distribution: Local and uncommon, rain forest. 60-450 m. Venezuela and Colombia south to Peru and N Brazil. NICARAGUA (Neill 1902, CAS); COSTA RICA (Herrera 3943, CAS).

    Notes: [Description based only on Mesoamerican specimens.]

  • Floras and Monographs

    Miconia lamprophylla Triana: [Article] Wurdack, John J. 1967. Plants collected in Ecuador by W. H. Camp. Melastomataceae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 16: 1-45.