Conostegia henripittieri Kriebel, 2016

Kriebel, Ricardo, 2016, A Monograph of Conostegia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae), PhytoKeys 67, pp. 1-326 : 187-190

Conostegia henripittieri Kriebel nom. nov. Fig. 167

Conostegia henripittieri Kriebel.Based on: Clidemia pittieri Gleason, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 68: 252. 1941. Type: Panama. Chiriquí: Humid forest around Los Siguas Camp, southern slope of Cerro de la Horqueta, alt. about 1700 m, 17-19 March 1911, H. Pittier 3177 (holotype: NY!, isotype: F!, NY!, US!).

Description.

Shrubs 0.5-2.5 m tall (with one report to 8 m) with slightly tetragonal, ridged and glabrous stems; the nodal line nodal line present but inconspicuous. Leaves of a pair very unequal in size. Petiole 0.1-0.2 cm long. Leaf blades 2.5-16.1 × 2-7.8 cm, 3-5 nerved, ovate-lanceolate to oblong-ovate, the base cordate, the apex acuminate, the margin entire, glabrous on both surfaces. Inflorescence a pseudolateral laxly branched and few-flowered pseudolateral dichasium 4.7-6.5 cm long, branching above the base, accessory branches absent, the rachis glabrous, the branches slender, bracteoles 0.75-2 × 0.1-0.75 mm, elliptic to oblong or narrowly oblong-obovate, persistent and forming a low nodal collar. Pedicels 1-2 mm. Flowers 5 or 6 merous, not calyptrate, nor sepals fused in bud. Floral buds ca. 3-4 × 1.5-2 mm, hypanthium campanulate to urceolate, glabrous, calyx lobes depressed triangular to rounded-undulate, 0.6-0.75 × 0.75 mm, calyx teeth broadly triangular, 0.5 × 0.75 mm. Petals 3 -4 × 3-4 mm, pink, broadly obovate to subrotund, rounded to emarginated apically, glabrous. Stamens 10 or 12, 2.25-3 mm long, the filament 1.25-2, apparently lacking a geniculation near the apex, anthers 1 × 0.6-0.8 mm, yellow, laterally compressed, connective thickened, the pore 0.18-0.2 mm wide, terminal and somewhat dorsally inclined. Ovary 5-6 locular, inferior, apically glabrous and flat, with five or six callose thickenings around the style base. Style not seen. Berry 4-6 × 4-6 mm, purple black. Seeds 0.45-0.6 mm long, triangular in sideview, the testa angulate and smooth.

Distribution

(Fig. 168 ). Endemic to western Panama at 1300-2000 m.

The epithet henripittieri was chosen for this species because pittieri is preempted by Conostegia pittieri Cogn. ex T. Durand. Conostegia henripitteri is unmistakeable because of its glabrous, subsessile, anisophyllous leaves. Although I was not able to see flowering material of this species, the isotype at F shows the evidently exserted style that is almost universal in section Geniculatae .

Specimens examined.

PANAMA. Chiriquí: disturbed cloud forest at Monte Rey above Boquete, Croat 15658, 15693 (NY); above Boquete near Parque Nacional Volcán Barú, along Rio Caldera in Alto Chiquero, Penneys and Olmos 1740 (FLAS, NY); Boquete, Finca Lérida, Quiroz 800 (NY); Finca Lérida to Peña Blanca, Woodson and Schery 289 (NY); Cerro Horqueta, von Hagen and von Hagen 2039 (NY); vicinity of Bajo Mona and Quebrada Chiquero, Woodson and Schery 562 (NY).

Figures

Figure 167. Conostegia henripittieri. A Habit B Infructescence. Photos of specimen vouchered R. Kriebel and J. Burke 5757.

Figure 168. Distribution of Conostegia henripittieri.