Conostegia speciosa Naudin, 1850

Kriebel, Ricardo, 2016, A Monograph of Conostegia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae), PhytoKeys 67, pp. 1-326 : 220-222

Conostegia speciosa Naudin Fig. 192

Conostegia speciosa Naudin, Ann. Sc. Nat. Bot. ser. 3 16: 109. 1850. Type: Panama. E. Duchassaing s.n. (lectotype: BR!, designated here; isolectotypes: GOET,?F [putative fragment of P specimen; however, Almeda did not find syntypical material at P, pers. comm. 1995 in Schnell (1996)]). Other syntype:-Nova Granata, Goudot s.n. (not seen).

Description.

Shrubs to small trees 1.2-7 m tall with terete to slightly rectangular stems that are moderately to densely covered with stellate and stipitate stellate hairs, the stipe ca. 0.5-1.75 mm; rarely some simple hairs intermixed; the nodal line present and covered by indument. Leaves of a pair equal to unequal in length. Petioles 0.4-4.5 cm. Leaf blades 8.6-22.3 × 4-11.1 cm, 5-7 plinerved, with the innermost pair of primary veins diverging from the mid vein 1-3 cm above the base in mostly opposite to sub opposite fashion, broadly elliptic to ovate, or oblong-ovate, the base acute broadly rounded, the apex attenuate to long acuminate, the margin denticulate or unevenly dentate. Inflorescence a terminal panicle small and closed but expanding as fruit mature, 2.3-17.9 cm long, accessory branches present, bracts linear, to 1.5 cm long, deciduous, the rachis purple pubescent, linear, bracteoles 2-3 mm, early deciduous. Pedicels to 3 mm long. Flowers (5-)6-7 merous, ovoid, calyptrate. Floral buds 5-9 × 2.5-5.5, rounded at the base, the apex subacute, not constricted in the middle; the hypanthium 3.5-4 × 3-3.5 mm, purple pubescent with sessile and stipitate stellate trichomes. Petals 5-7.25 × 4-5 mm, pink, lavender or almost white, ovate to obovate, apically emarginate, glabrous. Stamens (10-)12-14(-15), 4-6.5 mm long, slightly bilaterally arranged, the filaments 2-3.5 mm, white, anthers 2-3 × 0.75 mm, linear or oblong, straight or slightly curved, yellow, laterally compressed, the pore 0.1-0.2 mm wide, ventrally subterminal. Ovary (5-)6(-8) locular, inferior, apically glabrous and not forming an evident collar around the style. Style 2.5-4 mm long, strongly curved below the stigma, the distance of the anther pore to the stigma -1.75 - -0.75; stigma capitate, 1-1.25 mm wide. Berry 7-10 × 7-10 mm, dark purple. Seeds 0.9-1.3 mm, triangular and flat or slightly curved, the testa glossy.

Distribution

(Fig. 193 ). Occurring in disjunct populations in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Santa Marta in Colombia, Loja in Ecuador, and in north-central Venezuela, 0-1000 m in elevation.

Conostegia speciosa is a distinctive species based on its dense hirsute indument of stipitate stellate and simple trichomes. Also, the indument on its inflorescences tends to be bright purple. Its style is short like that of its close relatives Conostegia subcrustulata and Conostegia xalapensis and like the latter taxa lacks a stele inside the style. Other species with short styles which are restricted to section Conostegia have a stele inside the style. Schnell (1996) argued that Conostegia speciosa was the most abundant weed of the genus in Central Panama in habitats that would probably be occupied by Conostegia icosandra , Conostegia polyandra , Conostegia subcrustulata , or Conostegia xalapensis . For this reason, Schnell (1996) suggested they might be ecological replacements of each other. Of all these taxa, Conostegia speciosa is the one that inhabits the driest areas. Schnell (1996) also reported possible hybrids between Conostegia speciosa and Conostegia xalapensis form the Canal Zone in Panama and from Santa Marta, Colombia, and tested their pollen viability. He found that the purported hybrids in fact had a high percentage of non viable pollen grains. Lastly Schnell (1996) suggested some specimens show introgression from Conostegia subcrustulata .

Specimens examined.

NICARAGUA. Rio San Juan: San Carlos, Atwood 5328 (MO, NY); San Bartolo, Robbins and Seymour 6173 (NY); San Carlos, Smith 1893 (NY).

COSTA RICA. Alajuela: Vicinity of Los Chiles, Río Frío, Holm and Iltis 768 (NY); Guatuso, La Garroba (Sector Buenavista), Finca La Garroba ( pinéra parche grande), Kriebel et al. 5489 (NY) . Puntarenas: About 4-5 km N of Miramar on C.R. number 144, Almeda, Wilbur and Daniel 2863 (CR, MO, NY) .

PANAMA. Canal Zone: vicinity of Gamboa, Allen 1970 (NY); Pipeline Road within 5 mi. of Gamboa gate, D’Arcy and D’Arcy 6014 (NY); Corozal Cemetery, Dwyer 2584 (NY); Madden Forest Las Cruces Trail, Gentry 1379 (MO, NY); Pipeline road near Río Agua Salud, Kennedy 1808 (MO, NY); Ancon Hill, Killip 3011 (NY); Parque Nacional Chagres, al lado del camino hacia sendero El Mono, Kriebel and Burke 5677 (PMA, NY); Las Sabanas, Pittier 6709 (NY); Vicinity of Madden Dam near Rio Chagres , Seibert 551 (NY); Along road K-9, Smith and Smith 3266 (NY); Fort Clayton on road C-15 at tower, Tyson 1784 (NY). Coclé: Llano Bonito north of Las Margaritas , Seibert 532 (NY); Vicinity of Miraflores , White 137 (NY). Panamá: Vicinity of Pacora , Allen 1118 (NY); Vicinity of Rio Pacora , savanas along Panama National Highway east of Panama City, Bartlett and Lasser 16468 (MO, NY); Barro Colorado Island , Woodson and Schery 972 (NY); Isla Taboga, Woodson, Allen and Seibert 1524 (NY); thickets and forests near Arraiján, Woodson et al. 1361 (NY) . San Jose Island: San José Island, Pearl Archipelago, Along Canyon Road, Erlanson 567 (NY); Perlas Archipelago, Gulf of Panama (about 55 miles SSE of Balboa), M-Area road, San Jose Island, Perlas Archipelago, Gulf of Panama (about 55 miles SSE of Balboa), Johnston 446 (NY); Junction of Loops and Canyon Road, Johnston 1166 (MO, NY). Veraguas: Rio de Jesus , Dwyer 1317 (NY) .

COLOMBIA. Santa Marta: near Cacagualito, Smith 5 (NY).

ECUADOR. Loja: Horsetrail NE of Recinto El Prado on road Portovelo-Loja, Harling 27098 (MO, NY).

VENEZUELA. Barinas: 15 km from Barinas along road to Barinitas, Breteler 4212 (MO, NY); caserío El Pescado, río Yuca, Dtto. Obispos, Stergios 8642 (NY). Carabobo: alrededores de Tucuyito, Aristeguieta 2368 (NY); alrededores de Tocuyito, distrito Valencia, Saer deHeguert 836 (NY). Lara: Presa Yacambú, Orilla Izquierda del Río Yacambú, 500 m aguas abajo del tapón de la presa, Michelangeli and Gallagher 738 (NY). Miranda: Carretera Parque Nacional de Guatopo-Altagracia de Orituco, Aristeguieta 6383 (NY). Portuguesa: Caserío Villa Rosa 20 km al este de Biscucuy, Aymard et al. 3657 (NY); a lo largo de la carretera Gavilán-Mijagual-Mesa de Bucaral 15 km al S-SE de Biscucuy, Aymard, Cuello and Desantiago 3708 (NY); Agua Sucia 4-8 km on road to Las Panelas, 10 km from junction with Guanare-Barinas road, Hahn and Grifo 4927 (NY); Hacienda Los Caminos, 10 km al N de Araure en la vía Camburito, Potreros al Oeste del río de los pozos al N del campamento La Llanada, Michelangeli, Davalos and Cibois 810 (NY); Municipio Guanare, río Las Marías, camino hacia San José de Montaña, Stergios and Ortega 2940 (NY); along woodland stream between Las Palmas and Paraíso de Chabasquen, Steyermark and Rabe 97417 (NY). Zulia: cuenca del río Guasare, No 1. (La Yolanda), entre el Destacamento y "La Piscina" ( Caño Rechazado) en la Hacienda Doná Clara (5 km al NE del Destacamento), Bunting et al. 12740 (NY).

Figures

Figure 192. Conostegia speciosa. A Habit B Close up of internode C Pickled flower D Longitudinal section of hypanthium showing brown glands on the apex of the ovary E Petal F Stamen. Photos A-D of specimen vouchered R. Kriebel 5489 E-J vouchered R. Kriebel 5677.

Figure 193. Distribution of Conostegia speciosa.