Conostegia friedmaniorum (Almeda & Umana ) Kriebel, 2016

Kriebel, Ricardo, 2016, A Monograph of Conostegia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae), PhytoKeys 67, pp. 1-326 : 174-178

Conostegia friedmaniorum (Almeda & Umana) Kriebel comb. nov. Fig. 158

Conostegia friedmaniorum (Almeda & Umaña) Kriebel. Basionym: Miconia friedmaniorum Almeda & Umaña, Novon 3(1): 5, f. 1. 1993. Type: Costa Rica. Alajuela: Upala, Colonia Libertad, subiendo hasta el Llano Aguacatales, 10 48'25"N, 85 17'50"W, 1500 m, 28 April 1988, G. Herrera 1900 (holotype: CR!, isotype: BR!, CAS!, F!, MEXU!, MO!, PMA, SAC, USJ).

Description.

Shrub to small tree 2-5 m tall with somewhat tetragonal and ridged stems in newer branches that are densely covered with inconspicuously stalked reddish-orange asperous-headed hairs usually also with some simple multicellular hairs on the distal internodes; the nodal line nodal line present. Leaves of a pair equal to somewhat unequal in length. Petioles 0.5-4.8 cm. Leaf blades 7.5-18.6 × 3.4-7.7 cm, 5-plinerved, with the innermost pair of veins arising up to about 4 cm above the base in opposite or frequently in strongly alternate fashion, elliptic to elliptic-ovate, the base obtuse to oblique, the apex acuminate,the margin entire to inconspicuously denticulate, the adaxial surface mostly glabrous, moderately to sparsely covered with a mixture of inconspicuously asperous headed and scalelike multicellular hairs on the secondary and higher order veins abaxially. Inflorescence a mostly deflexed terminal modified cyme branching at the base, 3.6-9.8 cm long, accessory branches absent, rachis covered with stalked asperous headed hairs, linear oblong to triangular, bracteoles 1.5-4 mm, persistent. Pedicel 1-1.75 mm long. Flowers 5-merous, calyx in bud not calyptrate but closed in bud and crowned by an apiculum, rupturing irregularly at anthesis into 4-5 hyaline irregular lobes 0.3-1.5 mm long, flower buds 3-4 × 2-2.5 mm, the hypan thium 1.5-2.5 × 1.75-2.25 mm, campanulate, covered with orangish asperous headed hairs; exterior calyx teeth conspicuous, triangular, 0.5-0.6 mm long, torus glabrous. Petals 3-3.5 × 0.9-1.25 mm, translucent pink, linear-oblong, reflexed at anthesis, glabrous, the apex acute. Stamens 10, 2.2-3 mm, radially arranged around the style, the filaments 1-1.75 mm, geniculate near the apex, white, anthers 1-1.25 × 0.25-0.75 mm, linear-oblong, yellow, laterally compressed, the pore 0.1-0.14 mm wide, terminal and slightly dorsally inclined. Ovary 5 locular, 3/4 inferior, slightly fluted and with glandular hairs on the apex. Style 5.25-5.5 mm long, slightly to strongly bending, vertical distance from anther pore to stigma 1.75-2.25 mm, horizontal distance absent or up to1.3 mm, stigma truncate and somewhat dilated, 0.25-35 mm wide. Berry 3-4 × 3-4 mm, red turning purple black when mature. Seeds 0.39-0.6 mm, angular pyramidate to somewhat cescent shaped in profile, the testa smooth.

Distribution

(Fig. 159 ). Endemic to the Caribbean slope of the Cordillera de Tilarán and Volcán Tenorio National Park in Costa Rica, 1250-1700 m in elevation.

Conostegia friedmaniorum can be recognized by its rusty pubescence, leaves which are strongly plinerved with the veins frequently arising in asymmetric fashion, deflexed inflorescences and linear-oblong petals. Vegetatively it resembles another Costa Rican endemic, Conostegia pendula , as well as the Panamanian endemics Conostegia galdamesiae and Conostegia papillopetala . From Conostegia pendula it can be distinguished because the latter has lanate indument on the stems which is absent in Conostegia friedmaniorum . From Conostegia galdamesiae and Conostegia papillopetala it can be distinguished by its deflexed inflorescence and linear-oblong petals.

Specimens examined.

COSTA RICA. Alajuela: Monteverde Reserve, Cerro Negro, continental divide with Atlantic Slope exposure, Bello 3242 (CAS); San Ramón, Valle del Río Peñas Blancas, R. B. Monteverde, Bello 5155 (CAS); P. N. Volcán Tenorio, Estación El Pilón, sendero hacia Cerro Montezuma, Kriebel and Nicholas 5497 (INB, NY); loc. cit., Kriebel et al. 5641 (INB); Border of Alajuela, Guanacaste, and Puntarenas Provinces, Cordillera de Tilaran , sendero El Valle, Almeda and Anderson 5416 (CAS); Border of Puntarenas Alajuela border, Cordillera de Tilaran , Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve , sendero Brillante along the Continental Divide, Almeda and Daniel 7074 (CAS) .

Figures

Figure 158. Conostegia friedmaniorum. A Habit. Note asymmetric leaf base B Habit showing deflexed inflorescence C Close up of flower D Infructescence E Flower bud F Longitudinal section of a flower bud G-H Pickled flowers I Petal J Stamen. Photos of A, D of specimen vouchered R. Kriebel 5497, and B, D R. Kriebel 5641.

Figure 159. Distribution of Conostegia friedmaniorum.