Conostegia incurva (Gleason) Kriebel, 2016

Kriebel, Ricardo, 2016, A Monograph of Conostegia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae), PhytoKeys 67, pp. 1-326 : 190-191

Conostegia incurva (Gleason) Kriebel comb. nov. Fig. 169

Conostegia incurva (Gleason) Kriebe. Basionym: Miconia incurva Gleason, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 65: 580. 1938. Type: Costa Rica. Vara Blanca de Sarapiquí, north of Central Cordillera, alt. 1500-1750 m, July-Sept 1937, A. Skutch 3273 (holotype: NY!, isotypes: MO!, US!).

Miconia austin-smithii Standl. and L.O. Williams, Brittonia 15(1): 25-26, f. 1. 1963. Type: Costa Rica. Alajuela: 5 km s of Zarcero, cantón de Alfaro Ruíz, 17 June 1941, A. Smith 2804 (holotype: F!).

Description.

Trees 3-10 m tall with rounded-quadrate stems that are densely covered with a ferrugineous stellate indument; the nodal line not evident from the consipucous indument. Leaves of a pair equal to unequal in length. Petiole 0.5-2.8 cm. Leaves of a pair equal to somewhat unequal in length; leaf blade 4.3-18 × 1.9-5.9 cm, 5-plinerved, with the innermost pair of veins diverging from the midvein ca. 1-2 cm above the base in opposite or alternate fashion, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, the base acute to obtuse, the apex acuminate, the margin entire, the adaxial surface glabrous, the abaxial surface covered with a ferrugineous stellate indument. Inflorescence a terminal paniculiform dichasium, 2.5-7 cm long, accessory branches absent, rachis densely covered with a ferrugineous stellate indument; bracts and bracteoles triangular subulate, 1.5-3 × 0.5-1 mm, persistent. Flowers 5-merous, sessile or subsessile at anthesis, not calyptrate, nor the sepals fused in bud, floral buds ca. 8-9 mm, the calyx truncate and forming a flange ca. 1.5 mm long, exterior calyx teeth conspicuous, linear and more or less hooked, 2-7 mm long, torus glabrous. Petals 0.6-1.1 × 0.6-0.8 mm, white, broadly obovate, asymmetrical apparently spreading an anthesis, glabrous, emargiante apically. Stamens 10, 6.5-7 mm long, radially arranged around the style, the filament 3-3.25 mm, with a geniculation near the apex of the filament, white, anthers 3.25-3.75 × 0.75-1 mm, oblong, yellow, laterally compressed, the connective thickened, the pore ca. 0.15 mm wide, ventrally inclined. Ovary 5 locular, 4/5 inferior, glabrous and elevated into a collar around the style base. Style 8-8.5 mm long, vertical distance from the anther pore to the stigma ca. 1-2 mm, horizontal distance absent, the stigma capitate, ca. 1 mm wide. Berry 6-10 × 6-10 mm, reportedly light red. Seeds ca. 0.5 mm long, triangular to angulate-ovoid, the testa muriculate.

Distribution

(Fig. 170 ). Endemic to the Pacific slope of the Tilarán, Central and Talamanca Cordilleras in Costa Rica, 500-1500 in elevation.

Conostegia incurva is a rare species that can be recognized by the ferrugineous indument that covers the abaxial leaf surface, the strongly plinerved leaves with frequently asymmetrical primary veins, and large flowers with linear and evident calyx teeth. It resembles Conostegia schlimii , but the latter lacks the linear calyx teeth. Interestingly, Conostegia incurva forms a strongly supported species pair with the northern Central American endemic Conostegia oligocephala in the molecular phylogeny. The latter has much smaller flowers and more whitish indument on the leaves abaxially. The specimen Herrera 627 (CAS, CR) mentions the style separate from the stamens like most other species in section Geniculatae .

Specimens examined.

COSTA RICA. Alajuela: along dirt road that turns into Finca Los Ensayos off Highway 15 ca. 7.5 miles N of Zarcero, Croat 43463 (CAS); Upala, C.B. Guanacaste-Rincón de la Vieja, Sector la Campana, Sendero sobre margen del Rio Colon , Espinoza 1566 (INB, MO); Rio Penas Blancas , Finca Novo, Haber and Bello 7346 (CAS, INB); Z.P. Miravalles, 3 km West of Bijagua, Ridges above Rio Zapote , Penneys and Haber 615 (INB, MO); San Luis de Zarcero , Smith 625 (CR, NY); Cordillera Central, near San Juan de Laja about 15 km north of Zarcero , Williams et al. 29000 (NY) . Guanacaste: P. N. Rincón de la Vieja, siguiendo el canal desde la Hacienda Santa María hasta Quebrada Provisión, Herrera 627 (CAS, CR). Heredia: Montana Azul de Varablanca , Jiménez 3444 (CR, NY) . Limón: Cordillera de Talamanca , headwaters of Quebrada Kakebeta, below divide between Río Xikiari and Río Boyei, Grayum 10955 (CAS, CR, INB) .

Figures

Figure 169. Conostegia incurva. A Abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces B Inflorescence C Flower buds D Close up of flower E Close up of flowers F Fruit. Photographs by Ronny Josue Morales Mesen.

Figure 170. Distribution of Conostegia incurva.