Conostegia monteleagreana Cogn.

Kriebel, Ricardo, 2016, A Monograph of Conostegia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae), PhytoKeys 67, pp. 1-326 : 132-135

Conostegia monteleagreana Cogn. Fig. 125

Conostegia monteleagreana Cogn., DC. Monog. Phan. 7: 1189. 1891. Type: Costa Rica. Bord de la route a Carrillo, versant Atlantique, 300 m, 5 December 1890, H. Pittier 2539 (holotype: BR!; isotype: US!). (One of the US sheets is labeled Tonduz 2539 but is clearly of the same collection, fide Schnell (1996)).

Description.

Shrubs 1-2 m tall with tetragonal stems that are mostly glabrous with inconspicuous and scattered sessile stellate trichomes; the nodal line present yet slight. Leaves at a node equal to subequal in size. Petioles 0.2-2 cm, sometimes with large lenticels abaxially. Leaf blades 7.6-13 × 2.1-8 cm, 3-nerved to more frequently plinerved, if plinerved with the innermost pair of veins diverging up to 2 cm above the base in opposite or subopposite fashion, narrowly elliptic to elliptic-ovate, the base acute or obtuse and often short-decurrent, the apex acute to acuminate, the margin entire or remotely denticulate, essentially glabrous on both surfaces. Inflorescence a terminal panicle with few internodes on the main axis and each branch with the flowers agglomerated at the apex, 2.1-8 cm long, accessory branches apparently present as additional flowers in the glomerules, with green to red branches that can be heavily lenticellate, mostly glabrous, the foliaceous bracts 1-1.5 cm subtending the glomerules, each glomerule enveloped by ovate persistent bracteoles 5-9 mm long. Flowers sessile or with pedicels to 1 mm long. Flowers (4-)5(-7) merous, calyptrate. Floral buds 5-7 × 2.5-4 mm, oblong-pyriform, the base rounded, the apex apiculate, constricted about the middle, the calyptra and hypanthium weakly differentiated; the hypanthium 4-4.5 × 3.5-4 mm, essentially glabrous. Petals 4-5 × 4-4.25 mm, translucent white, obovate, spreading, glabrous, apically asymmetrical, closing after anthesis. Stamens (10-)13(-15), 3-4.5 mm long, radially arranged around the style, the filament 2-2.5 mm, white, anthers 1.5-2 × 0.4-0.6 mm, trapezoidal, whitish to pale yellow, forming a conspicuous anther shoulder at the filament anther junction, the pore ca. 0.1 mm, terminal. Ovary 6-9 locular, inferior, glabrous, forming a low collar around the style base. Style 4-5 mm, mostly straight, vertical distance between the anther and the stigma 0-1 mm, horizontal distance absent, stigma punctiform, 0.75-1 mm wide. Berry 5-7 × 5-7 mm, dark purple to black. Seeds 0.25-0.4 mm, pyriform, the testa minutely tuberculate.

Distribution

(Fig. 126 ). From Costa Rica to western Panama and then in the Cordillera Occidental of Colombia mostly in cloud forests from 500-2100 m in elevation.

Conostegia monteleagreana is easy to distinguish because of the foliaceous bracts that subtend the glomerulate inflorescences. The seeds of this species are also distinctive because of their particular tubercles. It is the only species in section Australis to have this testa ornamentation. This species has two morphotypes, one in Colombia with larger leaves and inflorescences than the one present in Costa Rica and Panama. It also appears to vary in the degree of herkogamy. The distinction between the insertion of the anther and filament ("anther shoulder") is very conspicuous as in other species of section Australis . Schnell (1996) states that the name is a misspelling of the last name Montealegre.

Specimens examined.

COSTA RICA. Alajuela: about 2-7 km SE of Cataratas de San Ramon, Almeda et al. 4306 (CR, MO, NY); Los Angeles de San Ramón, Brenes 6103 (CR, NY); Piedades cerca de San Ramón, Brenes 4256 (CR, NY); Finca La Paz , San Ramón, Kriebel 1475 (INB, NY); Pueblo Nuevo San Carlos, Smith 1909 (CR, NY) . Cartago: Selva entre Quebrada Selva y Río Taus, Morales 12915 (INB, NY); P.N. Tapantí, a lrededores de la estación, Kriebel 5354 (INB, NY); Canton de Paraiso , cuenca del Reventazón, Orosí, entrada a Tausito aprox. 3 km después del cruce hacia la Estación Tapantí, Rodríguez et al. 3241 (INB, MO, NY) . San José: Vazquez de Coronado , P.N. Braulio Carrillo, Sendero de la Ventana al Bajo de la Hondura, Acosta and Ramírez 515 (INB, MO NY); Tarrazú, San Lorenzo, estribaciones sureste de Cerro Toro, Estrada et al. 701 (CR, MO, NY) .

PANAMA. Bocas del Toro: Fortuna Dam Area along continental divide trail bordering Chiriquí Province, Almeda 6075 (CAS, NY, PMA) . Chiriquí: comú n al lado de la carretera cerca de la estacion de STRI, Kriebel and Burke 5747 (NY, PMA); Near Lago de Fortuna. Km 43 from Chiriquí on road to Chiriquí Grande, Penneys and Blanco 1719 (FLAS, NY) .

COLOMBIA. Antioquia: Mun. Frontino, Corregimiento Nutibara, Región Murí, Acevedo-Rodríguez 1264 (NY); Mcpio. Frontino, Corrig. Nutibara, región de Murrí, Altos de Cuevas, Luteyn et al. 11724 (MO, NY); Valle/ Chocó border area, Mpio. El Cairo, Correg. Boquerón, Vereda Las Amarillas, Serranía de los Paraguas, ca. 21-25 km beyond El Cairo, Luteyn and Giraldo 12682 (NY); Urrao, Corregimiento La Encarnacion , vereda Calles, P. N. Natural Las Orquídeas, en el camino de la cabana a la quebrada El Agudelo, Pedraza 1983 (NY) . Chocó: Along road between San José del Palmar and Cartago at Vereda San Antonio between San José del Palmar and jct. in road to El Cairo, Croat 56664 (MO, NY); Cerro del Torra vertiente nororiental abajo del helipuerto, Silverstone et al. 1144 (COL, NY). El Valle: Cordillera Occidental vertiente occidental, Hoya del rio Digua , Quebrada de San Juan abajo de Queremal, Cuatrecasas 22727 (NY) .

Figures

Figure 125. Conostegia monteleagreana. A Habit B Leaf abaxial surface C Close up of flowers at anthesis D Infructescence E Pickled inflorescence showing bracts subtending fruiting glomerule F Longitudinal section of a flower bud G Pickled flower H Longitudinal section of a flower at anthesis I Petal J Stamen K Style. Photographs A-D vouchered R. Kriebel 5354 E-K vouchered R. Kriebel s. n.

Figure 126. Distribution of Conostegia monteleagreana.