Miconia jashaferi Majure & Judd, J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas. 7: 268. 2013.

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 : 15-18

1. Miconia jashaferi Majure & Judd, J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas. 7: 268. 2013. Figs 3 , 9A-D

Ossaea shaferi Britton & Wilson, Mem. Torrey Club 16: 92. 1920. Type: CUBA. Camp La Gloria, South of Sierra Moa, 24-30 Dec 1910, J.A. Shafer 8152 (holotype: NY! [NY00099714]; isotypes: A! [A00073129], CAS [CAS0003716]).

Type.

Based on Ossaea shaferi Britton & Wilson

Description.

Evergreen shrub, 1-1.5 m tall; stems round in cross section, not ridged, the internodes 0.4-9.5 cm long, stem indumentum of spreading to descending bulla-based hairs, the apices recurved upwards, hairs to 2.3 mm long; nodal line absent. Leaves opposite, decussate, ovate or elliptic, 2.9-12.8 × 1.8-4.7 cm, slightly anisophyllous, apex acute to acuminate, leaf base acute to rounded, venation acrodromous, 5-veined, the midvein and 2 pairs of arching secondary veins, the outermost usually intramarginal, secondary veins mostly basal, the innermost pair suprabasal, produced 2-13 mm from leaf base, positioned 3-7 mm in from margin at widest point of blade, tertiary veins percurrent, more or less perpendicular to midvein, 2-6 mm apart at midleaf, impressed, but clearly visible on the adaxial leaf surface, intertertiary veins present, usually prominent, tertiary veins often joined by quaternary veins; adaxial leaf surface densely covered in bulla-based hairs giving the upper leaf a velvety appearance, these mostly filling the leaf areoles, widest hair bases to 1.1 mm, apices of bulla-based hairs mostly recurved, young leaf adaxial surface not producing long-stemmed, clavate-dentritic hairs, sessile, glandular hairs produced along the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary veins between the bulla-based hairs; abaxial leaf surface covered in bulla-based hairs, these erect, those along the primary, secondary, and tertiary veins larger than hairs on the clearly visible lamina, lamina with a series of pits from depressions of the bulla-based hairs produced from the upper leaf surface, sessile to short stipitate, glandular hairs produced primarily along major and minor veins but also occasionally throughout the lamina; petioles 0.4-1.3 cm long, covered in bulla-based hairs on both surfaces, these spreading with apices recurved upwards. Inflorescences terminal, pendant, forming mostly 5-6 flowered glomerules, only occasionally branching, 1.2-3.9 × 1.4-2.7 cm, the peduncle 0.2-2.3 cm long, proximal inflorescence branches absent to 5.5 mm long, pedicels absent; bracts foliaceous, oblong to ovate, 5.7-11 mm long; bracteoles flat, foliaceous, ovate to broadly ovate or rotund, 2.9-3.7 × 1-1.7 mm, the margins and apex with long bulla-based hairs and filiform gland-headed hairs, with sessile, glandular hairs along the adaxial surface and bulla-based hairs covering the abaxial surface, the adaxial surface black in herbarium specimens. Flowers 4-6-merous, sessile; hypanthium 3.4-6.5 mm long, short-oblong to globose, unlobed, slightly constricted below the torus; free portion of the hypanthium 1-1.3 mm long, abaxial surface covered in bulla-based hairs to 2.5 mm long, and occasional, sessile, glandular hairs near the bases of the bulla-based hairs, adaxial surface (i.e., free portion) with few, short, linear hairs and sessile, glandular hairs; calyx teeth 4-6, 6.8-7.5 × 0.2-0.4 mm, ascending or spreading, covered in bulla-based hairs; calyx lobes more or less triangular, apex acute to rounded, 0.9-1.7 × 1-1.2 mm, covered in bulla-based hairs abaxially and sessile, sparse, glandular hairs, as well as filiform hairs adaxially, these often expanded and flattened at the apex or gland-headed; calyx tube not tearing, 0.2-0.4 mm long with bulla-based hairs abaxially and sessile, glandular hairs adaxially, filiform hairs produced from the apex of the tube; petals 4-6, white, broadly elliptic to obovate, 5.3-5.6 × 2.1-2.7 mm, with an acute or acuminate apex, without or with one slightly bulla-based hair produced abaxially just below the apex to 0.1 mm long; stamens 8-12, filaments 2.2-2.6 mm long, glabrous, anthers 1.8-2 mm long, with one dorsally oriented pore, anther thecae 1.5-1.7 mm long, without a dorso-basal appendage; style 5.4-6 mm long, glabrous, not or only slightly dilated in the middle, collar absent, style subtended by a crown of multicellular, linear to elongate-triangular (needle-like) hairs, which are notably longer than the surrounding bulla-based hairs of the ovary apex, stigma punctate; ovary 2-5.3 × 1.9-4.3 mm, apex flat (not upraised), with bulla-based hairs, except for the linear or elongate-triangular hairs forming crown, placentation axile with deeply intruded pla centa, 3-locular; berries globose, slightly 4-lobed, purple at maturity, 7.5 mm long (including calyx tube), 7.3 mm wide; seeds 0.8-1.6 mm long, obpyramidal, often falcate, testa smooth, light brown, raphe black, smooth, extending the length of the seed.

Phenology.

Miconia jashaferi has been collected flowering and in immature fruit from July through August. Individuals have been collected in mature fruit in November and December.

Distribution

(Fig. 4 ). Miconia jashaferi is known from the mountains of northeastern Cuba, including the Baracoa, Moa and Toa regions, as well as the Sierra de Cristal.

Ecology.

Miconia jashaferi grows in thorny, xerophytic scrub and semidry montane rainforest on serpentine soils from 110 - 800 m in elevation. Some associated melastomes include Miconia baracoensis Urb., Pachyanthus reticulatus Britton & P.Wilson, Miconia moensis (Britton) Alain, Mecranium integrifolium Triana subsp. alainii Skean and Miconia walterjuddii Bécquer & Michelangeli.

Conservation status.

Miconia jashaferi is a locally widespread species in eastern Cuba (Fig. 4 ) and is known from numerous locations from a range of elevations and forest types. Bécquer (2007) regarded the species as threatened; the species is found in both Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt and Parque Nacional Pico Cristal. Hoewever, widespread mining practices around the Moa-Toa region may negatively affect localized populations of this species. Likewise, populations are highly fragemented and occupy less than 500 km2, so we suggest this species have a preliminary conservation assessment of endangered.

Discussion.

Miconia jashaferi is resolved as sister to the rest of the Lima clade (Fig. 2 ) in our phylogenetic analyses. However, three other species likely form a clade with Miconia jashaferi ( Miconia cubacinerea , Miconia hirtistyla , and Miconia tentaculicapitata ). All four of these species share the characters of large foliaceous bracts subtending the flowers, long calyx teeth, long, filiform hairs produced on the adaxial surface of the calyx tube, 3-carpellate ovaries and relatively large fruit compared with the rest of the members of the clade. Miconia jashaferi has often been confused with Miconia ovatifolia (Urb.) Judd, Bécquer & Majure (= Ossaea ovatifolia Urb.) of the Paralima clade ( Majure et al. 2015), as the adaxial leaf indumentum is somewhat similar, consisting of poorly developed bulla-based hairs (Figs 3 , 9A-D ). These two taxa are easily separated by hair type, in that Miconia ovatifolia has globular-stellate hairs on most surfaces of the plant and axillary, as well as obviously terminal inflorescences.

The stem indumentum of Miconia jashaferi initially is reddish or purplish and then quickly turns white, in what appears to be the death of the hairs produced, which are eventually shed entirely.

Specimens examined.

CUBA. Prov. Guantánamo: near Laguna del Galano, Sierra del Frijol, La Alegría, Toa, 2 Jan 1954, Alain 3838 (GH, HAC, NY); 19 km S of Baracoa, Via Azul , 14 Jan 1956, Alain 5139 (HAC, GH); Sierra Azul, Quibiján, Baracoa , ca. 500 m, 4 Jan 1960, Alain & López-Figueiras 7294 (HAC); Sierra Azul, Quibiján, Baracoa , 4 Jan 1960, Alain & López-Figueiras 7345 (HAJB); Baracoa . Meseta de la Iberia, camino entre el antiguo campamento minero hasta la laguna, 700 msm, 15 Apr 1985, Álvarez & al. HFC-55897 (B, HAJB, JE); Baracoa . Pluvisilva al sur de la loma del Yunque, 300-400 msm, Jun 1967, Bisse & Rojas HFC-2668 (HAJB, JE); Baracoa . Cerca del aserrío Nuevo Mundo, 28 Aug 1971, Bisse HFC-19574 (HAJB, JE); Palenque. Cuchillas de Toa. Cayo Fortuna , pluvisilva cerca del arroyo Manajú, 30 Mar 1972, Bisse & Berazaín HFC-22697 (HAJB, JE); Palenque. Cuchillas de Toa , Cayo Fortuna, charrascos cerca del arroyo Manajú, 5 Apr 1972 Bisse & Berazaín HFC-22018 (HAJB, JE); Baracoa . Valle al noroeste del Yunque de Baracoa , Feb 1968, Bisse & Köhler HFC-5206 (HAJB, JE); Orillas del rio Baez , cerca del campamento "Los Naranjo" 1-3 Aug 1975, Bisse & al. HFC-26994 (HAJB, JE); Baracoa. Camino de Los Naranjos a la loma de Buenavista, 21 Jan 1977, Bisse & al. HFC-33804 (B, HAJB, JE); Baracoa . Quibiján. Orilla norte del Toa entre la desembocadura del Quibiján y del Jaguaní, 19 Feb 1978, Bisse & al. HFC-37099 (B, HAJB, JE); Baracoa : orillas del rio Duaba cerca de Vega de la Palma, 21 Feb 1978, Bisse & al. HFC-37176 (B, HAJB, JE); Sierra de Imias . Loma de la Maestra cerca de Yamagua, 16 Feb 1979, Bisse & al. HFC-39514 (B, HAJB, JE); Imias . Sierra de Imias . Charrascos y pinar en la cima de la loma Majagua hueca, 700 msm, 16 Apr 1984, Bisse & al. HFC-53233 (B, HAJB, JE); Sierra Maestra (sic), Minas de Iberia (ad Taco Bay ), ca. 800 m, 7-8 Dec 1914, Ekman 3849 (S); Sierra de Iberia , Taco Bay , 11 Apr 1960, López-Figueiras UO-684 (HAC, HAJB); Sierra de Iberia , Taco Bay , 11 Apr 1960, López-Figueiras UO-705 (HAC); Sierra de Iberia , entre la base y el rio Iberia , Taco Bay , 25 Jul 1960, López-Figueiras UO-2191 (HAC, HAJB); Entre el río y la cumbre de La Iberia, Taco bay , 25 Jul 1960, López-Figueiras UO-2237 (HAC, HAJB); Camp Toa to Camp La Barga , 400-450 m, 22-26 Feb 1910, Shafer 4143 (US) ; Baracoa, Alturas de Baracoa, Mina Amores, ca. 24 km from Baracoa , bridge at entrance to mine area near where rio Camarones & rio Baez meet; 20°25.484'N, - 74°37.202'W, 110 m, 21 Jun 2002, Skean 4165 (FLAS). Prov. Holguín: Cayo Chico (Coco), Moa, 15 Apr 1945, Acuña 12633 (HAC, NY); Monte La Brena , Moa, Oriente, 5 Nov 1945, Acuña 13275 (HAC, NY); Monte La Brena , Moa, Oriente, 5 Nov 1945, Acuña 13276 (HAC); Monte La Brena , Moa, Oriente, 5 Nov 1945, Acuña 13277 (HAC); Near Cayoguan River , Moa region , 13-14 Jul 1949, Alain 871 (GH, NY); Charrascos de la mina La Melba, 27 Apr 1973, Álvarez & Berazaín HFC-24074 (HAJB); Moa: La Melba, charrascales cerca del aserrío, Nov 1969, Bisse HFC-15391 (HAJB, JE); Moa: camino desde Moa hacia La Melba, 21 Dec 1968, Bisse & Lippold HFC-11382 (HAJB, JE); Moa: La Melba, pluvisilva de montaña cerca del aserrío, 500 msm, 27 Dec 1968, Bisse & Lippold HFC-11532 (HAJB, JE); Moa: Charrascales al oeste de Yamaniguey , Jun 1967, Bisse & Rojas HFC-3208 (HAJB, JE); Moa: La Breña camino cerca del rio Limones , 400 msm, 24 Apr 1981, Bisse & al. HFC-45062 (B, HAJB, JE); Mina Delta, Moa region , 21 Jul 1944, Clemente NSC-4056 (HAC, IJ, NY); Monte La Brena , Moa, Aug 1945, Clemente et al. 4706b (HAC); Camino nuevo de las minas de Cayoguán, Jul 1949, Clemente et al. 6778 (HAC); Baracoa , valle del rio Toa , arriba de Baracoa , 30 Jan 1971, Grudzinskaya 764 (HAC); La Breña Woods, Moa region , Oriente, 1 Aug 1945, León LS-22578 (GH, HAC, NY); Moa. Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt , carretera a La Melba, km 28, 14 nov 2013, Michelangeli et al. 2262 (NY); Moa. Subida a Santa Teresita, 2 km E de Yamaniguey y de alli subida hacia el S-SW 3.5-5.5 km, 20.32.13.N -74.45.46 W, 390-440 msm, 16 Nov 2013, Michelangeli & al. 2284 (HAJB, NY); Moa, 1 Dec 1942, Montero 21295 (HAC, NY); Moa. Alrededores de la Melba, 2 Apr 1990, II Expedición Bot. Nac. " J. Bisse " HPR-6398 (HAJB); Moa-Baracoa, Nov 1965, Yeno 1087 (HAC). Prov. Santiago de Cuba. Falda sur de la Sierra de Cristal , 28 Dec 1955, Alain & López-Figueiras 4726 (HAC, HAJB). South of Sierra de Cristal , 28 Dec 1955, Alain 4774 (GH, HAC, HAJB); S slopes of El Cristal, 2-7 Apr 1956, Alain 5489 (GH, HAC, HAJB); Sierra del Cristal : falda sur de la sierra, cabezadas del rio San Miguel , 600-800 msm, Apr 1968, Bisse & Köhler HFC-8179 (HAJB, JE); Mayarí Arriba: Sierra Cristal, orillas del arroyo Cristal, 640 msm, 20 Feb 1976, Bisse & al. HFC-30339 (B, HAJB, JE) .

Figures

Figure 2. Maximum Parsimony 50 % majority rule phylogeny of selected members of the Lima, Calycopteris, Calycodomatia, Pseudolima, and Paralima clades (modified from Majure et al. 2015). Miconia umbellata and Miconia blancheana were used as outgroup taxa. Bootstrap values from both maximum parsimony / maximum likelihood analyses are given above branches.

Figure 3. Illustration of Miconia jashaferi A habit (Ekman 3849) B petal (Alain 871) C stamen (Alain 871) D style (Alain 871) E immature fruit longitudinal section (Alain 871) F seed (Acuna SV- 13275). Reproduced with permission from Majure et al. (2014 a).

Figure 4. Distribution map of Miconia hirtistyla (closed circles), Miconia jashaferi (closed stars), Miconia cubacinerea (open circle), and Miconia tentaculicapitata (open stars).

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.