Conostegia apiculata Wurdack, 1957

Kriebel, Ricardo, 2016, A Monograph of Conostegia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae), PhytoKeys 67, pp. 1-326 : 117-119

Conostegia apiculata Wurdack Fig. 114

Conostegia apiculata Wurdack, Brittonia 9: 103. 1957. Type: Colombia. Nariño: Curcuele, just above San Miguel, 8 km below Piedrancha, valley of Rio Guabo, 1550 m, 1 October 1943, F. Fosberg 21084 (holotype: US!, isotype: NY!).

Description.

Small tree to 7 m tall (one label had this information) with tetragonal and ridged young stems that are covered with a rusty indument of sessile stellate trichomes intermixed with dendritic trichomes which have a thick axis and appear stipitate stellate; nodal line absent and/or covered by indument. Leaves equal or unequal at each node. Petiole 0.8-3.5 cm. Leaf blades 8-22 × 2.-8 cm, 3-5-plinerved, with the innermost pair of veins arising just above the blade base or up to 1 cm above the base in opposite to alternate fashion, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, the base acute, the apex acuminate to caudate, entire to inconspicuously denticulate, glabrous adaxially, with small stellate trichomes and branched trichomes mostly on the veins abaxially. Inflorescence a terminal panicle 4-11 cm long, accessory branches absent, branches rusty from the indumenta like the stems, bracteoles linear to lanceolate, 3-10 mm long, persisting but ultimately deciduous. Flowers mostly 6 merous, calyptrate. Flower buds (7.5-) 10-18 × 4-8 mm, slightly constricted in the middle, flattened at the base and apiculate at the apex, the calycine and hypanthial portions weakly differentiated, the hypanthium 4.5-6.25 × 5-6.5 mm, covered with stellate hairs. Petals 8-11 × 6-8.8 mm, white, obovate to obovate-spatulate, emarginate, and glabrous. Stamens 18-24, ca 6-8 mm long, the filament 3-4.5 mm long, white, without an abrupt geniculation but curving below the anthers, anthers 3-3.5 × 0.5-0.7 mm, linear, slightly recurved, the anther connective thickened but without an evident shoulder, yellow, the pore ca. 0.14 mm wide. Ovary mostly 6 locular, glabrous, inferior and elevated into a small collar around the style base. Style ca. 7.5-11 mm, vertical distance from the anther to the stigma ca. 4 mm, horizontal distance absent; stigma capitate, 1.4-1.6 mm wide. Berry not seen.

Distribution

(Fig. 115 ). Known from few collections in the Pacific coast of Colombia to Central Ecuador, 600-1800 m in elevation.

This rare species can be recognized based on its indument of stellate hairs, long apiculate calyptras, and stout, exserted styles. The drawing made by Wurdack deposited at NY shows the lack of a filament geniculation in this species. Floral measurements made of an Ecuadorian specimen (Toasa et al. 11350 - NY) show longer styles at least in that population than in Wurdack’s drawing.

Specimens examined.

COLOMBIA. Chocó: Alrededores de Noanama , Forero et al. 4568 (COL, MO) . Nariño: Ricuarte, Reserva Natural La Planada , Agudelo et al. 2963 (COL) .

ECUADOR. Imbabura: Brillasol, Toasa et al. 11350 (NY).

Figures

Figure 114. Conostegia apiculata. A Flowering branch showing and apiculate flower bud B Flowering branch showing flower at anthesis. Note exserted style. Photographs taken by German Toasa and vouchered Toasa et al. 11350.

Figure 115. Distribution of Conostegia apiculata.