Miconia lepidota De Candolle (1828:180)

Corrêa, André Luis, Scudeller, Veridiana Vizoni & Goldenberg, Renato, 2017, Melastomataceae in the Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável do Tupé, Amazonas, Brazil, Phytotaxa 323 (2), pp. 101-127 : 118-119

26. Miconia lepidota De Candolle (1828:180) .

Trees 6–9 m tall. Brown rhytidome with shallow grooves. Branches erect, cylindrical, not winged, rufous; branches, petioles, leaves abaxial surface, inflorescence, bracts, bracteoles, hypanthium and fruits with lepidote persistent trichomes. Leaves opposite, isophyllous; petioles striate 2.3–3.2 cm long; leaf blades 15.6–21 × 10.2–14.2 cm, chartaceous, discolored, symmetrical, oval or obovate, base cuneate, apex acuminate, margins entire, not ciliate, adaxial side glabrous, leaf veins 5, basal. Ant domatia absent. Paniculate 14.6–22.1 × 6.2–12.6 cm, terminal; bracts ca. 0.4 mm long, triangular, caducous; bracteoles ca. 0.2 mm long. Flowers 5-merous, sessile; hypanthium ca. 2.6 mm long, campanulate, smooth; calyx simple, persistent; petals ca. 2.6 × 1.8 mm long, white, obovate, symmetrical, apex rounded, base truncate, margins not ciliate, glabrous; stamens 10, heteromorphic, smaller anthers ca. 2.2 mm long, larger anthers ca. 2.8 mm long, white, oblong, straight, apex attenuate,1 apical pore, connective not prolonged, appendaged, smaller filaments ca. 2.7 mm, larger filaments ca. 3.5 mm long, glabrous; ovary 0.9–1,2 mm long, superior,

placentation axillary, 4-locular, glabrous; style ca. 4.8 mm long, straight, glabrous. Berry 5.2 × 7.3 mm, unripe fruit green, ripe fruit blackish; seeds numerous, triangular.

Specimen examined:— BRAZIL. Amazonas, Manaus, RDS-Tupé, 09 April 2012, fr., A.L. Corrêa 24 (EAFM!, HUAM!, INPA!).

Additional specimen examined:— BRAZIL.Amazonas, Manaus, 03 April 1973, fl., B. Albuquerque & D. Coelho 1130 (INPA!).

Distribution and habitat:— Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Peru, Bolivia ( Goldenberg et al. 2013). In Brazil it occurs in Amazonian and Atlantic forests ( Goldenberg & Caddah 2015). In the reserve, it occurs in “terra firme” plateaus on well drained, sandy soil with a lot of organic matter.

Comments:— This species is not frequent in the reserve. It can be recognized by the brown rhytidome with shallow grooves, cylindrical branches, opposite leaves with lepidote trichomes and gabrous petals.