Miconia bullotricha Becquer & Majure, PhytoKeys 33: 65. 2014.

Majure, Lucas C., Becquer, Eldis R. & Judd, Walter S., 2016, Revision of the Lima clade (Miconia sect. Lima, Miconieae, Melastomataceae) of the Greater Antilles, PhytoKeys 72, pp. 1-99 : 44-46

11. Miconia bullotricha Becquer & Majure, PhytoKeys 33: 65. 2014. Fig. 16

Type.

CUBA. Prov. Guantánamo: Palenque. Bernardo. Sierra del Frijol, loma Bernardo , 800-900 m, 21 May 1983, J. Bisse, C. Beurton, H. Dietrich, J. Gutiérrez, L. Lepper, R. Dolmus, E. Köhler, R. Rankin, I. Arias, HFC-49930 (holotype: HAJB! [HAJBG000701]; isotypes: B! [B100362845], HAJB! [HAJBG000700], JE! [JE00022358], NY! [NY01796819]) .

Description.

Evergreen shrub (height unknown); stems round in cross section, not ridged, the internodes 1.1-2.4 cm long; stems densely covered in bulla-based hairs with strongly to narrowly dilated bases, to 0.3 mm long, the hairs spreading to descending with apices recurved upwards, young stem hairs often dark purple in color; nodal line inconspicuous, present. Leaves opposite, decussate, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, often slightly falcate, 4.2-6 × 1-2.2 cm, often slightly anisophyllous, yellowish when dried; apex narrowly acute; base rounded to broadly cuneate or abruptly cuneate; margin revolute, dentate, the dentations obscure, each covered in one large, bulla-based hair, venation acrodromous, 3 (-5)-veined, 1 primary vein and 1 (rarely 2) pairs of suprabasal secondary veins, often asymmetrical at union with midvein, produced 2-6 mm from the leaf base, positioned 0.7-3 mm in from margin at widest part of blade, the tertiary veins percurrent, more or less perpendicular to midvein, 2-3 mm apart at mid-leaf, intertertiary veins present, often joined by quaternary veins; adaxial leaf surface with primary and secondary veins impressed, tertiary veins flat to slightly impressed, remaining veins flat, abaxial surface with primary, secondary and tertiary veins raised, the higher order veins more or less flat to slightly raised (i.e., clearly visible to more or less obscure); adaxial leaf surface completely covered in erect bulla-based hairs, these fully expanded at the base, thus the lamina obscured, widest hair bases to 1.5 mm wide, hair apices acute to truncate, sometimes slightly recurved toward the leaf margin, sessile, glandular hairs occurring between the bases of bulla-based hairs; abaxial leaf surface nearly completely covered with bulla-based hairs with strongly to narrowly dilated bases, the lamina areoles not completely filled, the hairs along the epidermis erect with apices recurved or not, veins completely covered by spreading to erect hairs mostly with narrowly dilated bases and recurved apices, sessile, glandular hairs occurring throughout the lamina, as well as along veins; acarodomatia inconspicuous, of multicellular, linear hairs present in the axils of the primary and secondary, as well as primary and tertiary veins; petiole 5-8 mm long, covered in spreading bulla-based hairs, those of the adaxial surface slightly longer and narrower than those of the abaxial surface and recurved towards to the leaf blade. Inflorescences terminal, well-developed to reduced cymes of 3-13 flowers, 2-3.5 × 1.8-3.4 cm, the peduncle 0.7-1.4 cm long, usually conspicuously reflexed at base, thus the entire inflorescence pendant, the proximal inflorescence branches 0.5-1 cm long; bracts oblong to narrowly ovate, 1.1-2 mm long; bracteoles narrowly ovate, ca. 0.5-0.7 × 0.2-0.3 mm. Flowers 4-merous, pedicels 0-1 mm long. Hypanthium ca. 1.6 × 2.8 mm, globose, slightly constricted below torus, abaxial surface covered in granulate, bulla-based hairs with dilated bases and attenuate to truncate apices, to 0.5 mm long, and sessile, glandular hairs, the free portion of hypanthium 0.5-0.7 mm long, adaxial surface longitudinally ridged and covered by bulla-based hairs; calyx teeth 1.75-2.2 × 0.5 mm, linear and terete, recurved upon maturation, covered in bulla-based hairs; calyx lobes ca. 1 × 1.3 mm, triangular, apices acute, with bulla-based hairs abaxially and sessile, glandular hairs produced adaxially; calyx tube not tearing, ca. 0.4 mm long, with bulla-based hairs abaxially, sessile, glandular hairs adaxially and clavate- dendritic hairs produced at the apex; petals 4, immature (i.e., only seen in bud), ovate to elliptic, with acute apices, apices with one, slightly bulla-based hair produced subapically, hair to 0.5 mm long; stamens 8 (immature), filaments glabrous, anthers ovate, with a well-developed dorso-basal appendage and one apically-oriented pore (the pore position could be an artifact of level of maturity); style (immature) dilated in the middle, subtended by a short crown of multicellular hairs, these only slightly longer than the surrounding bulla-based hairs on the ovary apex; stigma punctate; ovary ca. 1.4 × 2.4 mm, apex flat, covered in bulla-based hairs, 4 locular, with axillary placentation, the placenta deeply intruded into locule; berries (immature) globose, ca. 3-3.4 × 3 mm, color at maturity unknown, but probably more or less purple; seeds (immature) 0.2-0.6 mm long, obpyramidal, testa smooth, light brown, raphe extending the length of the seed, dark brown.

Phenology.

Plants with buds and young fruits have been collected in May.

Distribution

(Fig. 11 ). Miconia bullotricha is restricted to the mountains of the Guantánamo province, Cuba.

Ecology.

Miconia bullotricha occurs in semi-dry, montane and elfin forest on serpentine soils at elevations of 500-1000 m. Associated melastomes include Calycogonium grisebachii Triana, Miconia baracoensis Urb. and Miconia echinata Judd et al.

Conservation status.

We do not have extensive knowledge of numbers of individuals per population or the reproductive biology of this species, so the conservation status of Miconia bullotricha cannot be critically evaluated at this time and should be considered data deficient. More fieldwork is imperative before its status can be assessed.

Discussion.

Although Majure et al. (2014) compared Miconia bullotricha to the very phenetically similar Miconia ottoschmidtii (Figs 12E-H , 17 ), and several characters overlap with that species, it is possible that Miconia bullotricha may be more closely related to members of the Acuminata subclade ( Majure et al. 2015), specifically Miconia granulata . Miconia bullotricha shares the inflorescence structure (Fig. 9O , 16 ) of Miconia granulata , which also may have pendant inflorescences in some specimens, as well as 4-merous flowers. Vegetatively, material of Miconia bullotricha can be sometimes confused with Miconia argentimuricata , also part of the Acuminata subclade. Likewise, Majure et al. (2014a) mistakenly cited a specimen of Miconia argentimuricata as Miconia bullotricha (Bisse et al. HFC-49721; B, HAJB, JE). Material of this poorly known species will need to be incorporated into phylogenetic analyses in order to confirm its placement.

Additional specimens examined.

CUBA. Prov. Guantánamo: Baracoa. Imías, Sierra de Imías, loma Jubal (al sur de Los Lechugos), 900-1000 m, 19 Aug 1975, Álvarez & al. HFC-27626 (B, HAC, HAJB, JE); Baracoa. Sierra de Purial , La Gurbia, 700 m, May 1968, Bisse & Rojas HFC-8562 (HAJB, JE); IBID, HFC-9389 (HAJB, JE); Baracoa. Falda suroeste de la loma del Mirador, 500 m, 9 Aug 1975, Bisse & Meyer HFC-27230 (B, HAC, HAJB, JE); Yateras Palenque. Sierra del Frijol , cerca de Bernardo, 800 m, 17 May 1983, Bisse et al. HFC-49731 (B, HAJB, JE) .

Figures

Figure 9. Photographs of Miconia jashaferi (A-D), Miconia norlindii (E-J), and Miconia granulata (K-P). A Abaxial leaf surface B habit of Miconia jashaferi showing pendant infloresence C close-up of immature fruit showing long clayx lobes D adaxial leaf surface (all from Michelangeli 2284) E habit of Miconia norlindii F close-up of flower, side view G close-up of flower, frontal view H close-up of infloresence (all from Michelangeli 2213) I mature fruit (Becquer s. n.) J leaf abaxial surface (Michelangeli 2213) K habit of Miconia granulata (Becquer HFC- 82266) L close-up of flower (Michelangeli 2269) M leaf abaxial surface, showing purple primary vein (Michelangeli 2265) N mature fruit (Michelangeli 2269) O close-up of branch of inflorescence (Michelangeli 2269) P leaf adaxial surface showing reduced bulla-based hairs (Michelangeli 2265). Photos I & K taken by E. Becquer and A-H, J, & L-P by F. Michelangeli.

Figure 11. Distribution of Miconia asperifolia (open stars), Miconia hybophylla (closed star), Miconia argentimuricata (closed circles), and Miconia bullotricha (open circles).

Figure 12. Illustration of Miconia cubana (A-D) and Miconia ottoschmidtii (E-H). A Habit of Miconia cubana B close-up of leaf adaxial surface showing bulla-based hairs not entirely covering areoles C stamen D fruit longitudinal section and flower bud (all from type Wright 189) E petal abaxial surface of Miconia ottoschmidtii showing small, slightly bulla-based hairs F petal side view G stamen showing dorso-basal appendage (E-G from Ekman 6926) H fruit showing granulate bulla-based hairs on the hypanthium (Leon LS- 10046).

Figure 16. Illustration of Miconia bullotricha. A habit B close-up of leaf adaxial surface C immature stamen D style E fruit longitudinal section F seed (all from Bisse et al. HFC- 49930). Reproduced with permission from Majure et al. (2014 a).

Figure 17. Photos of Miconia ottoschmidtii. A Inflorescence (Becquer s. n.) B leaf adaxial surface (Michelangeli 2234) C leaf abaxial surface (Michelangeli 2228) D developing leaves showing adaxial surface (Michelangeli 2228) E flower frontal view (Michelangeli 2234) F close-up of flower (E-F from Michelangeli 2234) G Miconia ottoschmidtii from Pinar del Rio showing poorly developed bulla-based hairs H flower and immature fruit I leaf abaxial surface J leaf adaxial surface (G-J from Becquer HFC- 82434). Photo A taken by E. Becquer, B-F taken by F. Michelangeli, and G-J taken by J. R. Abbott.