Conostegia shattuckii (Standl.) Kriebel, 2016

Kriebel, Ricardo, 2016, A Monograph of Conostegia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae), PhytoKeys 67, pp. 1-326 : 216-219

Conostegia shattuckii (Standl.) Kriebel comb. nov. Fig. 190

Conostegia shattuckii (Standl.) Kriebel. Basionym: Miconia shattuckii Standl., Contr. Arnold. Arbor. 5: 119, pl. 16. 1933. Type. Panamá: Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone, 24 October 1931, O. Shattuck 335 (holotype: F!, isotype: MO!).

Description.

Shrubs 1-4 m tall with terete stems that are moderately to densely covered with rusty barbellate or plumose hairs and moderately underlain with minute oblong glands; the nodal line not evident from the copious indument. Leaves of a pair mostly equal in length. Petiole 0.5-3 cm. Leaf blades 9.5-40 × 7-20, 5-7 nerved, elliptic-ovate to ovate, base cordate, apex acuminate, the margin undulate-denticulate, adaxially with simple hairs on the veins when young but becoming glabrous with age, abaxially with a mixture of simple, barbellate and minute glandular hairs. Inflorescence a terminal panicle 6-15 cm long, accessory branches absent, rachis copiously covered with rusty barbellate hairs, bracteoles 0.5-1 mm long, subulate, persistent. Pedicels about 1.5-2.5 mm. Hypanthium campanulate 2-2.25 × 1.25-1.75 mm, sparingly covered with barbellate, plumose and glandular hairs, the torus and inner hypanthium walls glandular puberulent. Flowers 5-merous, calyx not calyptrate nor fused in bud, the undulate apiculate lobes 0.25-0.5 mm long, the exterior calyx teeth tuberculate, 0.25 mm long. Petals 2.5-5 × 1.5-3 mm, ovate-oblong, translucent white, glabrous, not observed at anthesis but petals apparently closing after anthesis, emarginate. Stamens 10, 3.75-4.5 mm long, radially arranged around the style, the filament 1.75-2 mm long with a geniculation near the apex, translucent white, anthers 2-2.25 × 0.4-0.6 mm, linear-oblong, somewhat laterally compressed, cream yellow, the pore ca. 0.17 mm, truncate. Ovary 5-locular, 3/4 inferior, the apex more or less flat and glandular puberulent. Style 6-6.5 mm long, glandular puberulent at the base, straight but gently curving, vertical distance between the anther apex and the stigma 1.25-1.75 mm, horizontal distance absent, stigma truncate, 0.4-0.55 mm wide. Berry pink when immature and turning purple black at maturity, 5-6 × 5-6 mm. Seeds broadly deltoid in outline, smooth and rounded-angulate, the raphe expanded and sunken, 0.5-0.8 mm long.

Distribution

(Fig. 191 ). Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia, 0-950 m in elevation.

Conostegia shattuckii is readily recognized on the basis of its nerved leaves with a cordate base, and its small flowers with yellow anthers and exserted styles. Among species of section Geniculatae , Conostegia shattuckii is one of the few that is not plinerved. The style measurement given here is much longer here than in Flora Mesoamericana (Almeda, 2009). This is perhaps due to fresh versus dry measured material.

Specimens examined.

NICARAGUA. Zelaya: Nueva Guinea, Colonia Yolaina, Arachistain 3075 (CAS).

COSTA RICA. Alajuela: ca. 7 km NE de Boca Tapada, Laguna del Lagarto Lodge, Hammel 20345 (INB) . Limón: 200 mts. aguas abajo de la confluencia de Quebrada Canabral con Rio Barbilla , margen derecha, siguiendo el curso de la Quebrada Camagre, Herrera 2293 (INB) . Puntarenas: Rancho Quemado, Tierra de Conservacion, Peninsula de Osa , Aguilar 1971 (INB) .

PANAMA. Panamá: Parque Nacional Chagres, Sendero El Mono, adentro de la urbanización Altos de Cerro Azul, Kriebel and Burke 5688 (NY).

COLOMBIA. Chocó: Municipio Bahía Solano/Ciudad Mutis, corregimiento Ciudad Mutis, Quebrada Seca, Almeda et al. 10468 (CAS).

Figures

Figure 190. Conostegia shattuckii. A Habit B Close up of internode C Pickled flower D Longitudinal section of hypanthium showing brown glands on the apex of the ovary E Petal F Stamen. Photos of specimen vouchered R. Kriebel and J. Burke 5578.

Figure 191. Distribution of Conostegia shattuckii.