Conostegia superba Naudin

Kriebel, Ricardo, 2016, A Monograph of Conostegia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae), PhytoKeys 67, pp. 1-326 : 107-112

Conostegia superba Naudin Fig. 109

Conostegia superba Naudin, Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. ser. 3. 16: 108. 1850. Type: Jamaica. Wilson s.n. (holotype: P, isotype: K!; Schnell (1996) cites a fragment in F).

Conostegia macrophylla Naudin, Ann. Sc. Nat. ser 3 16: 112. 1850. Type: Mexico. "In montibus Mex. prope Oaxaca and Chinantla", 700 m, April-November 1840, H. Galeotti 2941 (isotype: BR!).

Conostegia alternifolia Macfad., Fl. Jamaica 2: 71. 1850; nom. inval.

Conostegia clidemioides Wright ex Grisebach, Cat. PI. Cuba 98. 1866. Type: Cuba. La Perla, eastern Cuba, 1861, C. Wright 2503 (holotype: GOET!; isotypes: BM!, BR, GH!, K!, LE, MO!, S!).

Conostegia poeppigii Cogn., Mart. Fl. Bras. 14(4): 211. 1886. Type: Peru. Provo Maynas, Poeppig s. n. (lectotype: LE, designated here; isolectotype:? BR). Other syntype: Colares, Provo Para, Brazil, June 1832, Poeppig s. n. (W). "The Brazilian syntype is sterile and cannot be identified with certainty" Schnell (1996).

Conostegia purpusii Brandegee, Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 6: 57. 1914. Type: Mexico. Chiapas: Finca Mexiquita, July 1913, C. Purpus 6784 (holotype: UC!; isotypes: A, BM!, CAS!, F!, GH, MO!, NY!, US). "This collection is mixed with a species of Miconia in many herbaria." Schnell (1996)

Conostegia pentaneura Standl., Field Mus. Publ. Bot. 8: 146. 1930. Type: Honduras. Lancetilla valley near Tela, 100 m, 8 August 1929, F. Salvoza 875 (holotype: A!, photograph: GH).

Miconia bailloni Gomez, Anal. Hist. Nat. Madrid 23: 69. 1894. Nom. inval. (no specimen cited)

Description.

Shrubs to small trees 1-8 m, tetragonal and sulcate stems that are glabrous or beset with sessile stellate trichomes or densely covered with stipitate stellate trichomes; the nodal line present but inconspicuous. Leaves of a pair equal to somewhat unequal in length. Petiole 0.7-10.8 cm. Leaf blades 7.1-36 × 2.3-16 cm, 5-plinerved, with the innermost pair of primary veins diverging from the mid vein up to 1.5 cm above the base in opposite to sub opposite fashion, narrowly ovate to broadly ovate, or oblong-elliptic, the base acute to rounded, the apex acute to obtuse and acuminate, the margin entire, undulate-ciliate, or dentate, the adaxial surface glabrous or with simple hairs in young leaves, the abaxial surface glabrous or glabrescent with sessile stellate trichomes, to evidently pubescent with stipitate stellate trichomes especially on the veins. Inflorescence a terminal panicle with the flowers disposed in umbels terminating the inflorescence branches, 7-27.5 cm long and branching above the base but sometimes appearing branched at the base because of multiple inflorescences arising at opposing meristems at the terminal node, accessory branches present, rachis often reddish, sul-cate, bracts and bracteoles 1 mm or less, early deciduous. Pedicels thick, 1.5-5.5 mm long. Flowers (4-)5-7 merous, oblong to obovate-pyriform, calyptrate, floral buds 5-9 × 2.5-5 mm, the base rounded, the apex acute to slightly apiculate, slightly to not con stricted at the middle, the hypanthium 2.5-3 × 2.25-2.75 mm, glabrous. Petals 4-6.5 × 3.5-6 mm, white or less commonly pink, obovate or obtriangular, spreading at anthesis, emarginate, glabrous. Stamens (10-)14-16(-17), anthers 5-7.5 mm long, slightly zygomorphic, the filament 3-4.25 mm long, not geniculate, white, anthers 2-3.25 × 0.5-1 mm, linear-oblong, slightly recurved, laterally compressed, briefly sagittate at the base, yellow, the pore 0.1-0.15 mm wide, subterminal and ventrally inclined. Ovary (4-)5-6(-9) locular, inferior, apically glabrous and forming a collar around the style. Style 3-5.25 mm, enveloped at the base by a collar, straight or slightly bent towards the tip, vertical distance between the anther pore and the stigma ca -1 - 0 mm, horizontal distance absent, the stigma subcapitate, 1-1.5 mm wide. Berry 6-9 × 6-9 mm, purple-black. Seeds 0.4-0.6 mm long, narrowly pyramidal, the testa smooth.

Distribution

(Fig. 110 ). In the mainland from Mexico through most of Central America, restricted to the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and in Panama to the western portion. In South America in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Schnell (1996) also reports this species from Peru, 0-1700 m in elevation.

The recent molecular phylogeny of Conostegia included three samples of Conostegia superba . One, from the Dominican Republic, the second from Guatemala, and the third from Ecuador. Two of the samples, the one from Guatemala and the one from the Dominican Republic fell sister to each other in a clade that also includes Conostegia bracteata and Conostegia caelestis . The third specimen from Ecuador, falls sister to Conostegia rhodopetala . On the one hand, this confirms the position of Schnell (1996) of treating Conostegia clidemioides as a synonym of Conostegia superba but on the other hand underlines the species delimitation problems between Conostegia superba and Conostegia rhodopetala . Also, although genetically Conostegia cuatrecasii appears to be a distinctive species based on the Panamanian and Ecuadorian samples included in the phylogeny, morphologically the populations of pink flowers of Conostegia superba can resemble Conostegia cuatrecasii . Schnell (1996) notes more limited flowering seasons in local populations than are reflected by specimens. A Brazilian infertile specimen which corresponds to a syntype of Conostegia poeppigii cannot be positively identified ( Schnell 1996) and is thus excluded from the distribution circumscription until it is collected again. Schnell (1996) noted that some isotypes of Conostegia purpusii are mixed with a species of Miconia in many herbaria.

Specimens examined.

CUBA. Oriente: El Yunque, Ekman 3970 (NY); La Prenda, Hioram and Maurel 4776 (NY).

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Barahona: Sierra del Bahoruco, Municipio Paraíso La Víbora, Clase, Montilla and Schuber 4383 (NY); Fuertes 969 (NY). Bonao : subida al Casabito, Liogier 30328 (NY) . Monseñor Nouel: Road up to Alto Casabito, ca. 8 km W of jct. with Highway Duarte on road from Bonao to Constanza, Judd and McDowell 6523 (NY); Cordillera Central on road to Alto Casabito ca. 2.8 km W on highway from Autopista Duarte N of Bonao to El Rio and Constanza, Judd et al. 8218 (NY); Cordillera Central, “Zumbador”, 1.5 km al sudeste de Juan Aldian, en la confluencia de los rios Zumbador and Calle Estrecha, Zanoni et al. 31550 (NY) .

PUERTO RICO. Cordillera Central: Toro Negro Forest, in Vereda del Bolo, Vives 138 (NY).

JAMAICA. Portland: Upper Swift River Study Site of Ecological Survey, Blue Mt. Multipurpose Project near Mossman’s Peak, Bretting 61, 254 (NY); North side of Cuna Cuna Pass, Harris and Britton 10560 (NY); Foothills of the John Crow Mts. Along road between Fair Prospect and Hartford and Ecclesdown, ca. 3.9-4 mi SE of jct. with Rt. A-4 (coastal road), Judd 5327 (NY). St. Thomas: Banks Devil’s River, Britton 3582 (NY); near Milepost 18 southeast of Bowden Pen. upper valley of the Rio Grande , Proctor 26603 (NY) .

MEXICO (fide Schnell). Chiapas: crest of ridge 3 km E of Francisco Madero, NE of Cintalapa, Breedlove 38701 (MO) . Oaxaca: entre Puerto Eligio y Comaltepec, km 149 entre Tuxtepec a Oaxaca S. Juarez, Martinez Calderon 388 (GH, MICH, UC, US) . Veracruz: Lado SE de Laguna Catemaco, arriba de Rio Cuetzalapan , Beaman 5165 (GH) .

GUATEMALA. Izabal: Sierra Caral, camino de terracería cerca de la entrada a la Finca La Firmeza , desde Morales, Kriebel et al. 5582 (USCG, NY) . Sololá: south-facing slopes of Volcán Atitlán above Finca Mocá, Steyermark 47891 (NY).

HONDURAS. Cortés: entre Agua Azul y Pito Solo Lago de Yojoa, Molina 7326 (NY).

NICARAGUA (fide Schnell). Rivas: Isla Ometepe, Volcán Maderas, Hacienda La Argentina , Robleto 845 (MO). Zelaya : near Bil Tingnia , 6 km NW of Bonanza, 150 m, Neill 4000 (M) .

COSTA RICA. Puntarenas: about 5 km. west of Rincon de Osa , Osa Península, Burger and Gentry 9006 (CR, NY); Buenos Aires, Potrero Grande, Sabanas Helechales, bosques y potreros aledaños al camino, Santamaría et al. 4194 (NY) . San José: about 1.8 km north of Platanillo on the road to Dominical, Almeda and Nakai 4123 (CR, MO, NY); Basin of El General , Skutch 4842 (CR, NY) .

PANAMA. (fide Schnell). Chiriquí: Burica Peninsula, 4-9 mi S of Puerto Armuelles, Croat 22101 (MO).

COLOMBIA. Putumayo: Municipio Mocoa, corregimiento de San Antonio, vereda Alto Campucana, finca La Mariposa, Vertiente Amazónica de Colombia, Betancourt et al. 4957 (NY); Umbría, Klug 1909 (NY).

ECUADOR. Morona-Santiago: Centro Shuar Yukutais 8 km SW of Sucua, Andrade 571 (NY); small ravine ca. 7 km N of Limón, Moran et al. 7613 (NY). Napo: Puyo, in rastrojo, Asplund 18907 (NY); Mera in forest on shore of Río Pastaza, Asplund 19128 (NY); Hacienda San Antonio del Barón von Humboldt 2 km al NE de Mera, Baker et al. 5370 (MO, NY); Hacienda San Antonia von Humboldt 2 km al NE de Mera, Baker et al. 5501 (NY); Near El Topo along trail to La Gloria, Valley of the río Pastaza and adjacent uplands, Camp 2403 (NY); Loreto, Faldas del Volcán Sumaco, al oeste de Avila Viejo, Bloque 19 línea sísmica 8, Compania Triton, Freire and Cerda 136 (MO, NY); Chaco rastrojal, Harling 3888 (NY); Río Napo between Coca (Puerto Francisco de Orellana) and Armenia Vieja, Harling and Andersson 11978 (NY); Santa Rosa at Rio Napo, Lugo 173 (MO, NY); between Banios and Mera, Mexia 6967 (NY); ca. 50 km NE of Baeza Cascada de San Rafael along Río Quijos, Moran et al. 7561 (NY); Hacienda San Antonio del Baron von Humboldt, 2 km al NE de Mera, Neill et al. 5869 (MO, NY); Hda. San Francisco below Banos, Penland and Summers 279 (NY); Vicinity of Puyo, Eastern foothills of the Andes, Skutch 4518 (NY); carretera Hollin-Loreto-Coca, en las orillas del Río Hollin, Zak and Jaramillo 3140 (NY). Tungurahua: Rio Negro, Asplund 18366 (NY); Colonia Mexico 4 km de Topo, Lugo 648 (NY). Zamora-Chinchipe: Road La Saquea-Yacuambi 1 km N Chapintza, Harling and Anderson 23885 (NY).

PERU (fide Schnell). Cuzco: Mapitunari valley , 5-7 km from Hda. Luisiana and the Apurimac river, Cordillera Villacabamba, Madison 10066-7 (NA, US). Huanaco: Tingo Maria, Asplund 12992 (US) .

VENEZUELA. Amazonas: Trail S from Cerro Neblina camp 5, Gentry and Stein 46530 (NY); Cerro Neblina Campamento 5 N base of Pico Cardenas, Gentry and Stein 46650 (NY); Departamento Río Negro, Cerro de La Neblina Camp V Valley north base of Pico Cardona, Liesner and Stannard 16893 (MO, NY).

Figures

Figure 109. Conostegia superba. A Leaf abaxial surface B Inflorescence C Close up of the flower D Infructescence E Longitudinal section of a flower bud F Pickled flower at anthesis G Longitudinal section of a flower at anthesis wit petals and most stamens removed H Petal I Stamen J Style. Photos of A-C and E-J from specimen vouchered R. Kriebel 5582 D taken by Reinaldo Aguilar.

Figure 110. Distribution of Conostegia superba.