Conostegia lindenii Cogn.

Kriebel, Ricardo, 2016, A Monograph of Conostegia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae), PhytoKeys 67, pp. 1-326 : 74

Conostegia lindenii Cogn. Fig. 84

Conostegia lindenii Cogn, DC. Monog. Phan. 7: 705. 1891. Type: Cuba. La Guinea, 600 m, no date, J. Linden 2204 (holotype: LE, isotype: BR!).

Conostegia lomensis Urban, Fedde Rep. Sp. Nov. 17: 161. 1921. Type. Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo: Barahona, La Loma, 1000 m, September 1911, M. Fuertes 1028 (holotype: A!).

Conostegia furfuracea Urban & Ekman, Arkiv. Bot. 23A (11): 15. 1931. Type: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Santo Domingo: Duarte, Cordillera Septentrional, Loma Quita-Espuela, c. 700 m, 25 April 1929, E. Ekman H12273 (holotype: S!, isotypes: A!, GH!, NY!, US!).

Description.

Shrubs or small trees to 6 m tall, stems tetragonal but soon terete and densely pubescent with sessile and stipitate stellate hairs; the nodal line present yet slight. Leaves of a pair equal to subequal in length. Petiole 0.8-2.5 cm long. Leaf blade 6-18 × 2-6 cm, 3-5 nerved, narrowly ovate to elliptic or ovate, acute to rounded at the base, acute to acuminate or rarely obtuse at the apex, the margins entire or obscurely denticulate, adaxially glabrous, abaxially densely covered with stellate and stipitate trichomes. Inflorescence a terminal panicle 6-12 cm long branched above the base but sometimes appearing branched at the base because of multiple inflorescences arising at opposing meristems at the terminal node, accessory branches apparently absent; bracts and bracteoles to 3 mm long, linear, early deciduous. Pedicels 2-7 mm long, covered with stellate and branching trichomes. Flowers (4-)5(-6) merous, calyptrate. Floral buds 8-9 × 3-4 mm, pyriform to lachrimiform, truncate or rounded at the base, narrowly acute and acuminate at the apex, the apex with somewhat discernible lobes, the calyptra well differentiated from the hypanthium; hypanthium 4-5 × 3.5-4 mm, campanunlate, sparsely to densely beset with stellate hairs and minute brown glands. Petals ca. 5 mm long, white, obtriangular, spreading to a little reflexed, rounded apically, glabrous. Stamens 9-14, 3-3.5 mm long, radially arranged around the style but apparently becoming zygomorphic becasuse of the style bending to one side below the stigma, the filament ca. 1.5 mm long, white, lacking a geniculation, anthers 1.5-2 mm, linear and slightly recurved, yellow, the pore ca. 0.1 mm, terminal. Ovary 5-7 locular, inferior, apically glabrous and forming a low collar around the style base. Style 2-3 mm long, bent below the stigma, vertical and horizontal distance from the stigma to the anther absent; stigma truncate, ca. 1 mm wide. Berry 5 × 5 mm, blue black. Seeds 0.4-0.5 mm, ovoid, smooth.

Distribution

(Fig. 85 ). Cuba and the Dominican Republic, 750-1300 m elevation.

Note that in Dominican Republic a pubescent morphotype of Conostegia superba has been collected in the same place. They are similar but when looking at the flower buds, Conostegia lindenii has pubescent buds with the lobes somewhat evident in the calyptra apex. In Conostegia superba on the other hand, the flower bud and calyptra are glabrous and the lobes not discernible at all.

Specimens examined.

CUBA. Oriente: Loma del Gato and vicinity Cobre Range of Sierra Maestra, Edmond 84 (NY); Sierra Maestra, El Gigante on the high ridge, on Río Guisa, Ekman 16084 (NY).

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Monseñor Nouel: Road up to Alto Casabito ca. 8 km W of jct. with Highway Duarte on road from Bonao to Constanza, Judd et al. 6521 (NY); Firme de Banilejo Piedra Blanca , Liogier and Liogier 19940 (NY) .

Figures

Figure 84. Conostegia lindenii. A Inflorescence B Close up of flower. Photos by Eldis Becquer.

Figure 85. Distribution of Conostegia lindenii.