Miconia papillopetala Kriebel & Almeda, 2013

Kriebel, Ricardo & Almeda, Frank, 2013, Two new species of Miconia (Melastomataceae: Miconieae) from the cloud forests of Panama, Phytotaxa 134 (1), pp. 27-41 : 32-34

Miconia papillopetala Kriebel & Almeda , sp. nov.

TYPE: — PANAMA. Veraguas: Parque Nacional Santa Fe. Sendero a la cima del Cerro Mariposa, 960 m, 08.50412 N, 081.11999 W, 16 September 2011 , R. Kriebel 5718 & J. Burke (holotype NY!, isotypes INB!, PMA!) . Figs 3–4 .

Shrubs 1–2.5 m tall with young stems copiously covered with pinoid hairs intermixed with asperous-headed hairs that are both golden–orange in color, nodal line not evident and concealed by the copious indument. Petioles 0.1–1 cm. Leaves subisophyllous to anisophyllous; blades 3.5–16 × 1.5–8.5 cm, 3–5–plinerved, diverging from the midvein 0.5–3 cm above the blade base usually asymmetrically, elliptic, base obtuse to rounded and sometimes oblique, apex acuminate, the margin denticulate, adaxially glabrous except for short and long pinoid hairs on the main veins towards the base, somewhat bullate and dark green when alive, abaxially densely pubescent on tertiary and higher order veins with pinoid golden–orange hairs. Inflorescences terminal, lax dichasia branched from the base, (4–) 7–10 cm long, copiously covered with golden-orange pinoid hairs intermixed with asperous-headed hairs; bracts to 8 mm long, linear oblong; bracteoles 0.5–1 mm long, lanceolate, less pubescent than the rest of inflorescence rachis, drying pinkish. Pedicels ca. 0.5 mm. Hypanthia campanulate 1.25–2 × 1–1.25 mm, densely covered with asperous-headed that appear somewhat stellate. Flowers 5-merous. Calyx fused in bud, shortly apiculate and less pubescent than the hypanthium, rupturing at anthesis into irregular, broadly rounded hyaline lobes 0.25–0.75 mm long and 0.5–0.75 mm wide at the base, the exterior calyx teeth 0.25–0.5 mm long, linear oblong, the calyx tube 0.25–0.5 mm long. Petals 1.25–2 × 2.5–3 mm, ovate, pink, papillose abaxially, reflexed at anthesis, emarginate. Stamens 10, 3– 3.5 mm long, radially arranged around the style; filaments 1.5–2 mm long, geniculate near the apex, translucent white; anthers 1.25–1.75 × 0.4–0.6 mm, linear-oblong, somewhat laterally compressed, cream yellow, pores 0.1–0.15 mm, truncate to somewhat ventrally inclined. Ovaries 5- locular, half inferior, the apex elevated into a low papillose collar. Styles 4.5–4.75 mm long, slightly curved, distance between the anther apex and the stigma 1–1.5 mm; stigmas truncate to capitellate, 0.4 mm wide. Berries pink when immature and turning purple at maturity, 3.3–4.5 × 3.5–4.5 mm; seeds ovoid and angled, 0.4–0.5 × 0.2–0.3 mm, orange-brown, lateral symmetrical plane ovate to triangular, the highest point toward the chalazal side, antiraphal symmetrical plane ovate-triangular and inconspicuously verruculose on the angles, raphal zone narrowly triangular and extending the length of the seed, expanded into an appendage that covers about 30% of the seed length. Chromosome number: unknown.

Distribution— Miconia papillopetala is known only from cloud forests in Coclé and Veraguas Provinces, Panama, in a narrow elevation range from ca. 750–1400 m. The few known collections all come from forests near the Escuela Agricola Alto de Piedra Cerro Tute (= Cerro Mariposa) and to the east near the continental divide above the town of El Copé in Coclé Province. During the collection trip of the holotype, this species was found to be common along the ascent of Cerro Tute.

Phenology— Miconia papillopetala has been collected with flowers in September and with fruits in September, December and January.

Etymology— The epithet for this species draws attention to papillose adaxial petal surfaces, a one of the distinguishing features from its close relatives.

Discussion— Specimens of Miconia papillopetala have been confused with and/or tentatively identified as Miconia aff. friedmaniorum , a species known only from cloud forests in Costa Rica ( Almeda 2009). In the Flora of Costa Rica, M. friedmaniorum was reported from Panama based on these tentative identifications ( Almeda et al. 2007) but then removed from the Flora Mesoamericana treatment ( Almeda 2009). The strongly plinerved leaves with asymmetric venation and leaf bases, indument of roughened hairs, and small flowers with calyx lobes fused in bud contributed to this confusion and uncertainty. Finding flowering material of M. papillopetala helped confirm suspicions that these Panamanian populations belonged to a different species. Miconia papillopetala differs from M. friedmaniorum in having a cauline indument of longer trichomes, shorter petioles, erect inflorescences, and pink, ovate petals ( Fig. 3 ). In contrast, M. friedmaniorum has shorter cauline trichomes, longer petioles, deflexed inflorescences, and narrowly oblong, translucent white to pale pinkish petals ( Fig. 5 ). Another petal difference between these two species involves their adaxial surface cells. In M. friedmaniorum these cells are flat ( Fig. 6E ) whereas in M. papillopetala they are papillose ( Fig. 4E ). Miconia papillopetala and M. galdamesiae share a number of similarities involving foliar venation, indument, calyx and hypanthial details, and seed size and morphology. The former differs consistently in having mature leaves that are somewhat bullate (vs. smooth), inflorescence with pedicellate, laxly arranged flowers (vs. sessile and glomerulate flowers), and pink, papillose petals that are 2.5–3 mm wide (vs. white, smooth petals that are 1–1.5 mm wide). In addition the berries of M. papillopetala appear to be larger, measuring 3.3–4.5 × 3.5–4.5 mm (vs. 1.7–1.9 × 2.0– 2.2 mm). Additional specimens will help confirm if berry size is consistently different between the two species. For further differences between these two species see Table 1.

Representative Specimens Examined— PANAMA: Coclé: Atlantic slope near the continental divide along lumbering road N of El Copé, 9.4 km above El Copé, 750–900 m, 20 January 1978, Croat 44624 ( CAS, PMA); Atlantic slope near the continental divide along lumbering road N of El Copé , 2.2 km N of lumber sawmill, 750–900 m, 20 January 1978, Croat 44668 ( CAS, MO, PMA); Lumber camp at Alto Calvario, 7 km N of El Copé, 900 m, 14 January 1977, Folsom 1276 ( CAS, INB, MEXU, MO, PMA); Near continental divide along lumbering road, 2.3 km beyond sawmill above El Copé , 900 m, 20 January 1978, Hammel 990 ( CAS, MO, PMA); 20 Jan 1978, Hammel 1054 ( CAS, MO, PMA) . Veraguas: Trail on ridge summit of Cerro Tute, Cordillera de Tute , 1 km past Escuela Agricola Altos de Piedra , W of Santa Fe , 1250–1410 m, 8º36’N, 81º06’W, 15 December 1981, S . Knapp 2654 & K . Sytsma ( BM, CAS, MO, PMA); Santa Fe, Altos de Piedra , trail leading up Cerro Mariposa (= Cerro Arizona) about 2 km past the Escuela Agricola , ca. 3 km from summit, 900–1000 m, 30 January 2005, D. S . Penneys 1707 & M. A . Blanco ( CAS, FLAS, NY, PMA, US).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Miconia papillopetala Kriebel & Almeda. A. Branch showing stem indument and asymmetric leaf bases. B. Leaf abaxial surface showing symmetric and asymmetric leaf veins. C. Flowering branch. D. Fruiting branch. E. Floral bud with fused sepals terminating in an apiculum. F. Flower at anthesis (petal color lost in ethanol preserved material). G. Longitudinal section of the hypanthium of a flower at anthesis. H. Petal. I. Stamen (profile view). J. Style and stigma. From the holotype.

FIGURE 4. Miconia papillopetala Kriebel & Almeda. A. Flower bud with its fused sepals rupturing apically. B. Flower an anthesis. C. Indument on a secondary vein on the abaxial foliar surface. D. Close up of stamens showing geniculate filaments. E. Detail of petal adaxial surface showing papillae. F. Seed. From the holotype. Scale bar = 500 µm (A–D), and 100 µm (E–F).

FIGURE 5. Miconia friedmaniorum Almeda & Umaña. A. Branch showing asymmetric leaf bases of most leaves. B. Flowering branch showing deflexed posture of inflorescence. C. Flower. D. Infructescence. E. Floral bud with fused sepals that have ruptured. F. Longitudinal section of flower bud. G. Profile view of flower at anthesis. H. Flower at anthesis viewed from above. I. Petal. J. Stamen. All from R. Kriebel et al. 5461 (INB).

FIGURE 6. Miconia friedmaniorum Almeda & Umaña. A. Indument of a secondary vein on the abaxial foliar surface. B. Detail of the indument on abaxial foliar surface. C. Flower at anthesis. D. Anther pore viewed from above. E. Petal adaxial surface. F. Stamen in profile view. G. Profile view of a seed. From R. Kriebel et al. 5461 (INB). Scale bar = 100 µm (A–B, D–E, and G), and 500 µm (C and F).