Miconia hirtistyla Majure & Judd, PhytoKeys 33: 69. 2014.

Majure, Lucas C., Becquer, Eldis R. & Judd, Walter S., 2016, Revision of the Lima clade (Miconia sect. Lima, Miconieae, Melastomataceae) of the Greater Antilles, PhytoKeys 72, pp. 1-99 : 19-22

2. Miconia hirtistyla Majure & Judd, PhytoKeys 33: 69. 2014. Fig. 5

Type.

CUBA. Southern Oriente and Pico Turquino, high [Sierra] Maestra, July 1922, Hno. León LS-10923 (holotype: NY! [NY01101267]; isotypes: GH!, HAC!) .

Description.

Evergreen shrub (height unknown); stems round in cross section, not ridged, the internodes 0.4-3.3 cm long, stem indumentum of bulla-based hairs to 1.6 mm long, these shaggy, spreading to slightly descending; nodal line absent. Leaves opposite, decussate, ovate to elliptic, not falcate, 1.6-8.2 × 1.4-3.9 cm, slightly to strongly anisophyllous (larger leaves at a node to twice as large as the smaller leaf), dark brown when dried, apex broadly acute, base broadly acute to rounded, margin dentate, the dentations obscure, each covered in one large bulla-based hair, venation acrodromous, 7-veined, the midvein and 3 pairs of arching secondary veins, secondary veins mostly basal, the innermost pair, suprabasal, produced 3-9 mm from leaf base, positioned 2.5-11 mm in from margin at widest point of blade, tertiary veins percurrent, more or less perpendicular to midvein, 1.5-4.1 mm apart at midleaf, intertertiary veins present, tertiary veins often joined by quaternary veins; adaxial leaf surface with primary, secondary and tertiary veins impressed, quaternary veins obscure, abaxial surface with all veins conspicuously raised; adaxial leaf surface covered in well developed but narrow bulla-based hairs mostly but not entirely covering the leaf areoles, widest hair bases to 0.8 mm, apices of bulla-based hairs mostly erect to recurved, sessile, glandular, hairs produced along the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary veins between the bulla-based hairs; abaxial leaf surface covered in bulla-based hairs, these mostly erect with undulate apices, those along the primary, secondary, and tertiary veins spreading and larger than hairs produced throughout the lamina, lamina appearing as a series of pits from depressions of the bulla-based hairs produced from the upper leaf surface, sessile, black, glandular hairs produced along all major and minor veins, domatia of multicellular, elongate hairs, abundant in axils of primary and secondary veins, as well as the axils of the primary and secondary with tertiary veins; petioles 0.4-1.8 cm long, covered in spreading, bulla-based hairs on both surfaces. Inflorescences terminal, cymose, 2-5 flowered, flowers mostly produced in glomerulate clusters, 1.3-2.4 × 1.2-3.8 cm, the peduncle 0.6-1.3 cm long, proximal inflorescence branches 0.8-1.1 mm long, pedicels absent; bracts ovate to elliptic, foliaceous, 5-17 mm long; bracteoles foliaceous, elliptic, 2.8-4.3 × 1.7-2.1 mm, covered in bulla-based hairs marginally and abaxially and glabrous abaxially or with filiform hairs towards the base. Flowers 6-merous, sessile. Hypanthium 2.6-3.2 mm long, short-oblong to globose, unlobed, slightly constricted below the torus, free portion of the hypanthium 1-1.4 mm long, abaxial surface covered in bulla-based hairs to 2.3 mm long, and occasional, sessile, glandular hairs near the bases of the bulla-based hairs; adaxial surface (i.e., free portion) covered in small, bulla-based hairs; calyx teeth 6, 4.5-4.6 × 0.2-0.4 mm, ascending or spreading, covered in bulla-based hairs; calyx lobes 6, more or less triangular, apex acute, 1-1.4 × 1-1.5 mm, covered in bulla-based hairs abaxially and gland-headed, filiform hairs adaxially; calyx tube not tearing, 0.3-0.5 mm long with bulla-based hairs abaxially and sessile, glandular hairs, as well as filiform, gland-headed hairs adaxially and along the apex of the tube; petals 6, most likely white, elliptic to obovate, 5.7-6.6 × 2.7-3.1 mm, with an acuminate apex, only slightly to conspicuously clawed, with one slightly bulla-based hair produced abaxially, subapically, or in some cases, marginally, to 0.1 mm long; stamens 12; filaments 3.8-4.1 mm long, glabrous, anthers 2.2-2.6 mm long, ovate, with one apically oriented pore, anther thecae 2-2.5 mm long, anthers without a dorso-basal appendage; style 3.8-4.4 mm long, pubescent with slightly bulla-based hairs, oblong to only slightly dilated in the middle, collar absent, style subtended by multicellular, linear to elongate-triangular (needle-like) hairs, which grade into the surrounding bulla-based hairs of the ovary apex, stigma punctate; ovary 1.2-2.8 × 1.5-2.5 mm, apex convex, pubescent with bulla-based hairs, placentation axile, placenta apparently not deeply intruded, 3-locular; berries not seen, mature seeds not seen.

Phenology.

Miconia hirtistyla was collected in bud, at anthesis, and in immature fruit in March and July.

Distribution

(Fig. 4 ). Miconia hirtistyla is only known from the western Sierra Maestra, Cuba.

Ecology.

Miconia hirtistyla occurs in montane rainforest, pine forest and elfin forest on rocky soils at elevations of 700-1800 m. Associated melastomes include Miconia argentimuricata Majure & Judd, Miconia norlindii (Urb.) Majure & Judd and Miconia nystroemii Urb.

Conservation status.

Miconia hirtistyla is mostly known from the very, well protected forests of Parque Nacional Pico Turquino. Although the species has not been collected recently, and we know nothing regarding its reproductive biology or population numbers, it is most likely not threatened by anthropogenic disturbance and habitat loss. However, at present we must categorize the species as data deficient, owed to the lack of data. Fieldwork will be necessary to appropriately assess the conservation status of this species.

Discussion.

Although generally confused with Miconia jashaferi , Miconia hirtistyla is most phenetically similar to Miconia cubacinerea , and the two species may be sister taxa. The two species differ in abaxial leaf surface indumentum and the degree of pitting on the abaxial leaf surface, calyx teeth length (i.e., 4.5-4.6 mm in Miconia hirtistyla vs. 5.7-6.2 mm in Miconia cubacinerea ), petal form (i.e., clawed in Miconia hirtistyla ), and style indumentum (i.e., pubescent styles in Miconia hirtistyla ).

Specimens examined.

CUBA. Prov. Granma: A lo largo del camino de Minas del Frio a Montpie, 23 Apr 1978, Bisse et al. HFC-37347 (B, HAJB, JE); Valle del arroyo Escondido, 700-1000 msm, 26 Apr 1978, Bisse et al. HFC-37628 (B, HAJB, JE); Bartolomé Masó. Estribo del Pico Turquino, 20 Apr 1979, Bisse et al. HFC-40517 (B, HAJB, JE); Manguito, pinares de la loma La Botella, 1200-1400 msm, 22 Mar 1970, Lippold HFC-16283 (HAJB, JE). Prov. Santiago de Cuba: Oriente, Pico Turquino, 12-26 Jul 1936, Acuña SV-10189 (HAC); Oriente, Sierra Maestra, Cima del Pico Turquino , 10 July 1936, Acuña SV-22705 (HAC); Oriente, Sierra Maestra, steep rocks of Loma Regino, 25 Jul 1922, E.L. Ekman 14617 (S); southern Oriente and Pico Turquino, high [Sierra] Maestra, Jul 1922, Fre. León LS-10927 (GH, NY). Prov. Granma / Santiago de Cuba. Oriente, date not given, Acuña SV-15144 (HAJB) .

Figures

Figure 4. Distribution map of Miconia hirtistyla (closed circles), Miconia jashaferi (closed stars), Miconia cubacinerea (open circle), and Miconia tentaculicapitata (open stars).

Figure 5. Miconia hirtistyla A habit (Ekman 14617) B leaf abaxial surface (Leon LS- 10923) C bracteole (Leon LS- 10923) D petal (Ekman 14617) E stamen (Ekman 14617) F style (Ekman 14617). Reproduced with permission from Majure et al. (2014 a).