Miconia domingensis Cogn.

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: HAITI. [Dept. de L’Ouest]: Monte Le Grand Fond, 1000 m alt., fr, 30 May 1828, G. Jaeger 43.170 (holotype: LE, not seen; isotypes: A!, F (fragment of specimen at P)!, S!; photos of isotype at B, now destroyed: F!, GH!, US!).

Description: Shrub or small tree to 6 m. Indumentum of multicellular, ferrugineous, elongate-branched, stalked dendritic-branched to smaller stellate-branched hairs, along with minute globular hairs. Young twigs square to rectangular in cross-section, 1.3-3 mm wide, not ridged, but often with central furrow along broader stem-face, becoming terete with age, the indumentum of dense, ferrugineous, elongate-branched to smaller stellate-branched or globular-stellate hairs, becoming only sparsely pubescent with age; internodes 0.8-3.5 (-9) cm long. Leaves with petiole 2.5-19 mm long, the indumentum dense to moderate, ferrugineous, elongate-branched to stellate-branched hairs; blade 2.4-10.6 cm long, 0.8-3 cm wide, ovate to elliptic or nearly oblong, ± flat to slightly abaxially curved, coriaceous, the apex acuminate to acute, the base acute to rounded, the margins revolute, serrulate, with proximal 10-50% of margin entire, the largest teeth to 0.1-0.3 mm long, but often appearing entire, even when teeth are present due to revolute condition; venation acrodromous, slightly suprabasal, with a prominent midvein and 2 conspicuous secondary veins placed 1-3 mm in from the margin, and 2 inconspicuous submarginal secondary veins, and numerous percurrent tertiary veins oriented subperpendicular to the midvein, the tertiary veins usually separated by composite inter-tertiary veins, the higher order veins orthogonal-reticulate; adaxial surface green, the indumentum initially sparse, ferrugineous, stellate- to elongate-branched hairs, very quickly glabrescent, except for a few hairs on proximal portion of midvein, the midvein and 2 major secondary veins clearly impressed, minor secondary and tertiary veins slightly impressed, higher order veins slightly impressed to flat, the surface minutely wrinkled-papillose when dried due to ± dense druse crystals; abaxial surface light green, initially densely to moderately covered (but becoming only moderately to sparsely covered) with ferrugineous, stalked, ± dendritic-branched hairs to 0.2-0.5 mm across, to smaller stellate-branched hairs on midvein to highest order veins, also with minute globular hairs on lamina and higher order veins and elongate-branched hairs on midvein, the epidermis clearly visible between hairs, the midvein and major secondary veins prominently raised, minor secondary and tertiary veins, and sometimes composite inter-tertiary veins slightly raised, the higher order veins ± flat. Inflorescences many flowered, open-paniculate cymes of 3 to 5 major branch pairs, ca 2-8.6 cm long, 1.5-4.8 cm across; proximal segment of lowermost inflorescence branches 0.4-2.1 cm, distal internodes increasingly shorter, ultimate branches 0.5-2 mm long, moderate to dense ferrugineous, elongate-branched to smaller stellate-branched or globular-stellate hairs; peduncle 0.8-4.3 cm long, with similar indumentum; each inflorescence branch associated with early caducous ovate to obovate or linear bract, ca 1.4-8 mm long, 0.5-2 mm wide, the apices acute to rounded, lowermost pair sometimes larger and intergrading with leaves; flowers in dichasia, each flower subtended by 2 caducous, ovate to obovate bracteoles ca 1.4-3.2 mm long, 0.7-1.6 mm wide, the indumentum of ± sparse, ferrugineous, stellate-branched hairs, their apices acute to rounded. Flowers ± sessile, pedicel ca 0.1-0.2 mm. Hypanthium cylindrical, free portion ca 1.1-1.4 mm long, the outer surface with sparse minute globular hairs, the inner surface glabrous and smooth. External calyx lobes 5, 0.05-0.3 mm long, 0.8-1.1 mm wide, broadly triangular to nearly flat with an apical bump, with acute apex, glabrous; internal calyx lobes 5, 0.1-0.5 mm long, 0.8-1.2 mm wide, broadly triangular, green, with acute to rounded apex, glabrous, the margin entire; calyx tube ca 0.1-0.3 mm long. Petals 5, 1.7-2.1 mm long, 1-1.3 mm wide, broadly ovate to obovate, glabrous, white; margin entire. Stamens 10, geniculate; proximal segment 1-2 mm long; distal segment 1.6-2.1 mm, the anther ca 1.1-1.4 mm long, with fertile portion of anther sacs 1.1-1.3 mm long, the connective/distal part of filament extending 0.5-0.75 mm beyond the base of the anther sacs. Ovary 3-loculate, ca 1/3-inferior (immature) to ca 2/3-inferior (mature), 1.5-2 mm long, 1.7-1.9 mm in diameter, ovoid, glabrous, 10-ridged, with fluted apical projection to 0.1-0.25 mm encircling the base of style; style ca 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous; stigma expanded to truncate. Mature berries globose, 2.5-3.5 mm in diameter, globose, blue, with sparse minute globular hairs. Seeds 0.7-1.0 mm long, angular-obovoid; testa smooth. Fig. 28.

Habitat and Distribution: Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Massif de la Selle/Sierra de Baoruco; moist to somewhat dry (and open) forests of Pinus occidentalis, cloud forests, or thickets; (800-) 1000-2674 m. Associated melastomes include Clidemia umbellata, Mecranium multiflorum (Desr.) Triana, Miconia lanceolata, M. rigidissima, M. tetrastoma, Sagraea scalpta (Vent.) Naudin, and Tetrazygia crotonifolia. These forests are described in more detail in Ciferri (1936) and Holdridge (1947).

Phenology: Flowering has been documented from November through March.

Taxonomy and Systematics: The phylogenetic relationships of M. domingensis are poorly understood, but the species may be most closely related to M. basilensis. They possibly form a clade on the basis of their leaves with the major secondary veins placed only 1-3 mm from the margin: a putative synapomorphy. They are similar in most features, but M. domingensis can be distinguished from M. basilensis by its wider, less strongly abaxially curved, and more strongly serrulate leaves with the tertiary veins usually separated by composite-intertertiary veins, the slightly larger hairs, the hypanthium 1.1-1.4 mm long (vs. 0.7-1 mm long) with a smooth (vs. slightly 10-ridged) inner surface, the petals 1.7-2.1 mm long (vs. 2.2-3 mm long), and the anthers 1.1-1.4 mm long (vs. 1.4-1.8 mm long); see also additional characters provided in the key. The length/width quotient of the leaves of M. domingensis is 1.3-4.7, while that of M. basilensis is 3.5-5.4. The two species are reproductively isolated because M. basilensis occurs only on Morne Basile, in the Massif du Nord, Haiti. The two duplicates of G. Jaeger 43.170 (the type collection of M. domingensis) at GOET are actually Tetrazygia crotonifolia (Desv.) DC., but these specimens are considered to be the result of an incorrectly associated label, as the material associated with this number at other institutions (see above) represents M. domingensis, as does the original description.

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Images

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Miconia dielsiana: Botanical line drawing. (image/jpeg)

Miconia domingensis: Botanical line drawing. (image/jpeg)

Miconia basilensis: Botanical line drawing. (image/jpeg)

Miconia domingensis: Description of specimen by H. A. Gleason. (image/jpeg)