Miconia karlkrugii Majure & Judd

Description

Description Author and Date: Lucas C. Majure, Walter S. Judd, and Fabian A. Michelangeli modified from "Taxonomic revision of the Greater Antillean Pseudolima clade of Miconia (Miconia sect. Krugiophytum: Miconieae: Melastomataceae)". Majure, Lucas C., Judd, Walter S., Michelangeli, Fabián A.; Brittonia. 67 (1): 11--28. 2014

Type: Puerto Rico, Maricao in declivibus montis “Alegrillo.” 26 Nov 1884, (fl.), P. Sintenis 293 (holotype: BR (BR0000005193479); isotypes: CORD (CORD00003589), GH, GOET (GOET007892), K (K000535771), MO, MPU (MPU013629), NY, S, US).

Description: Evergreen shrubs, 1–2.5 m tall; stems round in cross section or moderately rectangular in very young shoots, not ridged, internodes 0.2–6.4 cm long, stem indumentum of ascending, appressed, bulla-based hairs to 0.6 mm long; nodal line present. Leaves opposite, decussate, broadly elliptic, rotund, or obovate with obtuse to widely acute apices, and acute to rounded bases, strongly anisophyllous with the larger leaf roughly twice the size of the smaller leaf in a pair, or grading to isophyllous, 1–5.8 × 0.75–3.5 cm, 5-nerved, the outer most pair mostly intramarginal, venation acrodromous, veins impressed on the adaxial surface and raised on the abaxial surface, those of the adaxial surface covered in bulla-based hairs, the innermost pair of secondary veins arising from 0–5 mm from the leaf base, 2–7 mm from the leaf margin at the widest point of the leaf, tertiary veins 1.6–3.5 mm apart commonly with quaternary veins joining them, leaf margins serrate as a result of large arcuate, bulla-based hairs, adaxial leaf surface covered with bulla-based hairs, clavate-dendritic hairs arising from between bulla-based hairs, especially toward the leaf base, although produced throughout the leaf surface, sessile glands also produced from between bulla-based hairs, abaxial leaf surface covered with bulla-based hairs, these mostly flattened, sessile, glandular hairs throughout abaxial leaf surface, as well as along major veins, clavate-dendritic hairs produced from the bases of the enlarged, bulla-based hairs that are produced along the leaf margin, domatia absent; petioles 0.1–0.7 cm, covered in bulla-based hairs and often with clavate dendritic hairs produced from between the bulla-based hairs. Inflorescence terminal, reduced to one flower, sessile, or with pedicels to 1 mm; floral bracts foliaceous, obovate to oblanceolate, lanceolate, or linear 2–13 × 0.5–8 mm. Flowers 2–5.2 cm wide, actinomorphic or zygomorphic; hypanthium 5–8 mm long, globose, greatly constricted just below the torus, covered in bulla-based, awl-shaped, ascending hairs to 2 mm long, the free portion of the hypanthium 1.6–3.2 mm long; calyx lobes 3.5–4.9 × 2.7–3.1 mm, oblong, covered in bulla-based hairs abaxially, flattened, linear hairs produced adaxially, these grading into flattened, clavate-dendritic hairs produced along the upper lobe margin and sometimes with short-stalked, glandular hairs, calyx tube 3–4.1 mm long, tearing regularly corresponding to lobes as fruit matures, lateral and apical margins membranaceous, with the same hairs as calyx lobes, although with a tuft of clavate-dendritic hairs at the apex, these seen on both halves of the tube after tearing of the calyx; calyx teeth 5–9.5 × 0.5–0.9 mm, linear, round in cross section or moderately flattened perpendicular to the floral axis, covered in bulla-based hairs; petals 5-7, 14–23 × 9.5–16 mm, white, glabrous, or occasionally with a few short-stalked glandular hairs on the abaxial surface towards the medial portion of the petal, elliptic to obovate, moderately to strongly clawed, asymmetric with one margin ruffled (forming plications); stamens 12, filaments 4.8–6.7 mm long, white, glabrous, anthers 4.3–6.4 mm long, yellow, subulate, the sterile portion extending into two lateral, basal lobes surrounding the filament, anther thecae 3.9–5.9 mm long, opening by 1 apical or slightly dorsally-oriented pore; style 8–14 mm, glabrous, linear; stigma punctate; ovary 4–6 locular, 4–7 × 2.7–8 mm, apex acute, pubescent, covered in delicate, bulla-based hairs, crown present of dense, needle-like hairs. Berries bright red, globose, 9–10 × 6.5–11 mm. Seeds obpyramidal to obovate, 0.9–1.1 mm long, testa smooth, with a dark colored raphe extending the length of the seed.

Phenology: Miconia karlkrugii flowers throughout the year.

Distribution and ecology: Miconia karlkrugii is restricted to the Cordillera Central of Puerto Rico from 580–875 m in elevation and is most common in the Maricao State Forest. It also has been collected in Susúa State Forest and once in the municipality of Pañuelas (Fig. 6). This species has been well collected, although it is not very widespread. It is most commonly found growing in serpentine soils of moist, broadleaved, montane forests.

Taxonomy and Systematics: Miconia karlkrugii is sister to M. krugiana (Fig. 1). Miconia karlkrugii is not highly variable morphologically, although certain populations exhibit smaller leaf and flower sizes, which may be correlated with habitat differences (e.g., Burch 3468, collected in scrub over shale substrate).