Miconia neomicrantha Judd & Skean

  • Family

    Melastomataceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Miconia neomicrantha Judd & Skean

  • Primary Citation

    Bull. Florida State Mus., Biol. Sci. 36(2): 62. 1991

  • Description

    Description Author and Date: Diana Gamba & Frank Almeda, modified from "Systematics of the Octopleura Clade of Miconia (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) in Tropical America". Gamba, D., Almeda, F. Phytotaxa 179(1): 1-174.

    Type: JAMAICA. Swartz s.n. (holotype: S-internet image!; isotype: LD-internet image!).

    Description: Shrub or small tree 1–7 m tall with erect, open branching, bark green to light brown. Upper internodes rounded-quadrate to quadrate 1–4.2(–6.6) cm long, cauline nodes terete, nodal line frequently present as a ridge, occasionally not very evident or absent. Indumentum on branchlets, petioles, adaxial surface of young leaves, surface, primary, secondary, tertiary and higher order veins abaxially, inflorescence axes, bracts and bracteoles abaxially, pedicels, hypanthia, calyx lobes, calyx teeth, and petals abaxially copiously to sparsely covered with with hyaline or brownish stellate lepidote trichomes 0.15–0.25 mm long with only partially fused radii, occasionally completely replaced by dendritic trichomes 0.05–0.08 mm long with short axes and few-moderate number of terete arms. Leaves of each pair isophyllous; the semiterete thin petiole (0.5–)1–5.5 cm, narrowly sulcate adaxially; blades 6.5–20 × 5–8 cm, elliptic to elliptic-ovate, the base acute to narrowly obtuse, occasionally rounded, the margin entire to obscurely and distantly undulate-serrulate, the apex gradually short- to long-acuminate to aristate-caudate, chartaceous; mature leaves adaxially glabrescent with the primary, secondary, tertiary and higher order veins glabrous; abaxial surface along with the primary, secondary, tertiary and higher order veins glabrous with age; 5-nerved or 5-plinerved, including the tenuous marginals, innermost pair of secondary veins diverging from the primary vein symmetrically or asymmetrically 0.3–1.5 cm above the base, with a membrane-like structure or with trichomes like the general indumentum in the spaces where the innermost pair of secondary veins diverge from the primary (mite-domatia?), areolae 0.3–0.4 mm, adaxially the primary, secondary, tertiary and higher order veins flat, abaxially raised and terete. Inflorescences a pseudolateral dithyrsoid 3–6 cm long, including a rounded-quadrate to quadrate peduncle 0.75–1.25 cm long or sessile, divaricately and highly branched from the peduncle apex or the base, borne on the upper foliar nodes, the rachis green; bracts 0.2–0.4 × 0.1–0.3 mm, narrowly triangular to oblong-linear, pale green, adaxially glabrous, tardily deciduous at anthesis; bracteoles 0.3–0.5 × 0.2–0.3 mm, narrowly triangular, pale green, abaxially glabrous, deciduous to subpersistent in fruit. Flowers 4-(5-) merous, sessile. Hypanthia at anthesis 1.6–1.7 × 1.3–1.4(–1.6) mm, free portion of hypanthium 0.5–0.6(–0.8) mm long, globose to urceolate, bluntly 8-ribbed, green-yellowish, ridged on the inner surface, sparsely beset with sessile glands, the torus sparsely glandular and moderately scaly adaxially. Calyx open in bud and persistent in fruit, green; tube 0.3–0.4 mm long, with the same vestiture as the torus adaxially and as the hypanthium abaxially; lobes 0.2–0.4 × 1–1.3 mm, depressed-rounded, erect to flange-like, the margin vaguely undulate, the apex obtuse; exterior calyx teeth 0.15–0.4 mm long, deltoid, merely thickened and inconspicuous, inserted on the apical half of the lobes and not projecting beyond them. Petals 3–4(–5) × 0.8–1.5(–1.7) mm, lanceolate, the margin entire, the apex bluntly acute to acuminate, white to pinkish, occasionally with red spots or red distally, glabrous adaxially, glabrescent abaxially, reflexed at anthesis. Stamens 8; filaments 1.3–2 × 0.2–0.23 mm, white to cream, glabrous; anther thecae 1–1.5 × 0.25–0.3 mm, linear-oblong, obtuse to slightly emarginate at the apex, opening by (one–)two dorsally inclined pores 0.1–0.2 mm in diameter, cream to yellow, brown-red with age; connective yellow to orange, its prolongation and appendage 0.4–0.9 mm long, the appendage subulate to oblong, bluntly acute to rounded at the apex, copiously gland-edged, the glands rounded and stalked, the stalks linear to subulate. Ovary 4-locular, 2/3 to completely inferior, 1.3–1.6 mm long at anthesis, the apical collar absent, the apex 0.2–0.3 mm in diameter, conic-truncate, sparsely glandular-puberulent, the trichomes to 0.1 mm long; style 3.5–4.5 mm long, narrowed distally (i.e. tapering), white, glabrous to somewhat glandular; stigma capitellate. Berries 4–5 × 4–5 mm when dry, globose-oblate, green turning white when fully ripe, the hypanthial indumentum persistent at maturity. Seeds 0.32–0.43 × 0.13–0.2 mm, ovoid, angled, brownish; lateral and antiraphal symmetrical planes ovate, the highest point toward the chalazal side; raphal zone ovate, nearly as long as the seed, usually ventrally expanded toward the micropyle; appendage absent, but a small protuberance present; individual cells elongate, anticlinal boundaries channeled, undulate, with [Omega] and U-type patterns; periclinal walls convex, low-domed to nearly flat, microrelief verrucose. Chromosome number: n=17.

    Common names: Belize: “mountain sirin” (Gentle 7174, CAS!); “sirin” (Gentle 4281, CAS!). Ecuador: “palo hueso” (Pichincha, Jiménez 1125, MO!); “quiliyuyo” (Morona-Santiago, Cerón 14330, MO!) “taja sangre” (Manabí, Gentry 72543, F!, MO-2 sheets!); “yuturi caspi” (in Quechua, Orellana, Reyes 538, MO!). México: “jeepe” (Oaxaca, Hernández 2467, US!). Perú: “tiri” (Pasco, Smith 8507, MO!).

    Habitat and Distribution: This is a widespread locally common species of primary and secondary rain forest, cloud forest and swamp forest, or disturbed sites, on steep slopes or near streams, in the understory or forest margins, throughout southern Mexico and Mesoamerica and in two Caribbean islands (Jamaica and Hispaniola), south to Colombia, Venezuela (including the Venezuelan Guayana), Ecuador and Perú , at 0–2500(–3000) m. In México it has been collected in the southern states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Veracruz, south to Belize and throughout the lowlands (except for El Salvador) and the Pacific and Atlantic slopes of Central America. In the Caribbean islands of Jamaica and Hispaniola (Liogier 2000) it is less frequent at low to median elevations. In Colombia it has been collected in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the three Andean Cordilleras, including the Biogeographic Chocó premontane areas (Pacific and Andean regions), and south to Putumayo. Its range extends east to Venezuela in the valleys of the Aragua state to the Venezuelan Guayana (known from Capibara, Tamatama, Río Atabapo, San Carlos de Río Negro) (Berry et al. 2001). Further south M. neomicranthaextends throughout Ecuador and western Perú to Oxapampa. It is not known from any island in the Pacific or from Panama’s Barro Colorado Island (Croat 1978). In Costa Rica Corapipo altera, Manacus candei, and Tachyphonus delatrii have been reported to feed on M. neomicrantha fruits (Boyle 2006), as well as Semnornis frantzii (Wheelwright et al. 1984). In a montane forest in Colombia (Santuario de Fauna y Flora Otún-Quimbaya), Myadestes ralloides has also been reported to consume berries of M. neomicrantha (Kessler-Rios & Kattan 2012).

    Phenology: Collected in flower and fruit throughout the year.

    Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the small flowers of this species.

    Taxonomy and Systematics: This species is distinguished by its superficially glabrous appearance, commonly caudate foliar apex, and prominently 8-ribbed berries that are white at maturity. It is closely related to M. albertobrenesii and M. boekei, both of which have a dense conspicuous indumentum and larger flowers. Miconia alboglandulosa has occasionally been confused with M. neomicrantha, perhaps because of the foliar shape and overall appearance. However, the inflorescence architecture of the former consists of a cluster of cymes (vs. dithyrsoids) and M. neomicrantha lacks the white-translucent furrowed glands that are so typical of the leaves and floral organs of M. alboglandulosa. Throughout its extensive range, this species is uniform in floral and fruit characters; all the flowers examined were 4-merous (except for two 5-merous populations discussed below). Anther shape, the glandular anther appendages and the white color of mature berries were consistent for all collections studied throughout its range. Although Wurdack (1973a) synonymized O. caudata and O. tetragona under M. neomicrantha he noted that two micromorphological variants occur in Central America. One has somewhat tetragonal cauline internodes, leaf apices generally only shortly and gradually acuminate, and petals usually 1 mm or less wide and externally moderately squamate. This variant mostly occurs at 0–700 m and matches the Caribbean and lowland continental Atlantic slope material (including the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta populations in Colombia). The other variant usually has terete branchlets, leaf apices more or less long-acuminate to caudate, petal width 1.3–1.7 mm and rather glabrescent abaxially. These collections are from more montane areas in Central America, at (1100–)1500–2400 m; but the modal differences that appear to have some elevational correlation in Central America breaks down in South America. Furthermore, the squamate-stellate vegetative and floral indumentum of this species varies greatly in quantity throughout the range as does foliage shape. Some collectors have also reported the petals to have red apices (Ecuador, Rimbach 66, 189, 226, F!, US!, NY!) or red bases and spots (Jamaica, Morley 912, MO!). This color anomaly appears to be rare. Indumentum characters can be quite variable in this species. At least three micromorphological variants are evident. The typical indumentum in this species is squamate-stellate composed by hyaline lepidote trichomes with only partially fused radii (see Fig. 213 in Wurdack 1986). This indumentum which is present throughout a plant is occasionally very sparse. These typical individuals are present throughout the geographic and elevational range of the species. However, in South America some populations have a puberulent indumentum similar to that in M. variabilis that is composed of minute brownish dendritic trichomes with short axes and few-moderate number of terete arms instead of the squamate-stellate trichomes on vegetative parts, hypanthia, and petals. These plants are known from southern Colombia (Nariño and Putumayo) through the lowlands and Andean slopes of Ecuador (Carchi, Esmeraldas, Imbabura, Napo, Pastaza, Pichincha, and Los Ríos), at (150–)200–2000(–3000) m. Superficially they look like typical M. neomicrantha because the indumentum details are only visible with the stereomicroscope or with a powerful hand lens in the field. In addition, a rare variant known from five specimens has similar stellate-squamate general indumentum like that of typical M. neomicrantha. However the trichomes are stellate and brownish-translucent in color. Due to their coloration they are visible to the naked eye, especially on the leaves abaxially. This variant occurs from the southern provinces of Ecuador (Morona-Santiago and Zamora-Chinchipe) to the department of Cajamarca in Perú, at 1700–2300 m. These populations are rather isolated both elevati

    Conservation Status: This species would be considered Vulnerable VU B2ab(iii) based on IUCN criteria (AOO). A status of Least Concern LC is warranted because it occurs in many protected sites throughout its range. Protected in Belize in the Bladen Nature Reserve (Toledo). In Colombia it is protected in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park (Magdalena); in La Planada Nature Reserve (Nariño); in the Otún-Quimbaya Sanctuary of Fauna and Flora (Risaralda); in the Farallones National Park and in the Finca Los Sauces private protected area (Valle). In Costa Rica it is protected in the major Natural Parks and Reserves. In Ecuador it is protectd in the Awá Indigenous Reserve (Esmeraldas); in the Intag Private Reserve (Imbabura); in the Río Palenque Biological Station (Los Ríos); in Machalilla National park (Manabí); protected in the major Parks and Reserves in Pichincha Province. In Venezuela it is protected in the Guache and the Guaramacal National Parks (Portuguesa and Trujillo respectively).

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