Miconia cubana (Alain) 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 : 38-39

9. Miconia cubana (Alain) Majure & Judd, J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas. 7: 268. 2013. Fig. 12A-D

Ossaea cubana Alain, Contr. Ocas. Mus. Hist. Nat. Col. "de la Salle" 14: 11. 1955. Type: CUBA. [Pinar del Río], Isabel María, 16 Mar, 1860-1864, C. Wright 189 (holotype: NY! [NY00099639]; isotypes: HAC (4 sheets)!, GH! [GH00713104, branch in upper left hand corner], S (2 sheets)! [S12-26503, S12-26504]).

Type.

Based on Ossaea cubana Alain

Description.

Evergreen shrub (height unknown); stems round in cross section, not ridged, the internodes 0.6-7 cm long, stem indumentum of previous season’s growth bright white, contrasting with purplish hairs of current season’s growth, as well as purplish petioles, indumentum of bulla-based hairs, 0.2-1 mm long, these spreading to ascending with the apices recurved towards the stem axis; nodal line absent. Leaves opposite, decussate, oblong to elliptic, 1.5-9.1 × 0.8-3.3 cm, slightly to moderately anisophyllous, apex broadly or narrolwly acute, base acute, venation acrodromous, 5-veined, the midvein and 2 pairs of arching secondary veins, outermost pair of secondary veins mostly basal, the innermost pair, suprabasal, produced 2.1-9 mm from leaf base, positioned 3.8-6.6 mm in from margin at widest point of blade, tertiary veins percurrent, more or less perpendicular to midvein, 2.8-5.2 mm apart at midleaf, intertertiary veins absent, tertiary veins often joined by quaternary veins; adaxial leaf surface with sparse, bulla-based hairs, the lamina clearly visible, widest hair bases to 0.7 mm, apices of bulla-based hairs mostly recurved, young leaf adaxial surface producing sessile, glandular hairs produced along the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary veins between the bulla-based hairs, especially toward the base of the leaf; abaxial leaf surface covered in sparse narrow, bulla-based hairs, these to 0.1 mm wide, those along the primary, secondary, and tertiary veins larger than hairs produced throughout the lamina, the lamina clearly visible, appearing as a series of pits from depressions of the bulla-based hairs produced from the upper leaf surface, sessile, glandular hairs produced throughout the lamina, domatia absent; petioles 0.7-2.8 cm long, purplish, covered in spreading to ascending, bulla-based hairs on both surfaces. Inflorescences terminal, expanded cymes, purplish, 19-32 flowered, 3.7-4.8 × 3.7-4.4 cm, the peduncle 0.15-0.9 cm long, proximal inflorescence branches 8-25 mm long, bracts oblong to narrowly ovate, 0.8-1.1 mm long; bracteoles narrowly ovate, 0.5-0.6 × 0.15-0.3 mm, covered in bulla-based hairs. Flowers 4-merous, pedicels 0.4-1.1 mm long; hypanthium 1.5-1.8 mm long, globose, 4-lobed, slightly constricted below the torus, free portion of the hypanthium 0.2-0.25 mm long, abaxial surface covered in bulla-based hairs 0.4-1 mm long, and abundant, sessile, glandular hairs near the bases of the bulla-based hairs; adaxial surface (i.e., free portion) covered in small, bulla-based hairs and sessile, glandular hairs; calyx teeth 0.6-1.1 × 0.15-0.2 mm, spreading with the apices recurved upwards, essentially appearing as a large bulla-based hair; calyx lobes 0.9-1 × 1.3-1.8 mm, rounded apically, covered in bulla-based hairs abaxially and sessile, glandular hairs adaxially; calyx tube not tearing, 0.7-0.8 mm long with bulla-based hairs abaxially and sessile, glandular hairs adaxially; petals 4, white (?), ovate with acute to acuminate apices, 2 mm long (according to Alain 1955), with several slightly bulla-based hairs produced abaxially, these sometimes bent in the middle or at the base, 2-3 of these hairs produced at the center of the petal and 1 hair produced just below the apex, hairs to 0.7 mm long; stamens 8; filaments 1.5-1.6 mm long, glabrous, anthers 1.3-1.5 mm long, with one dorsally oriented pore, anther thecae 1.2-1.3 mm long, anthers with a dorso-basal appendage 0.1-0.2 mm long; style 4.2-4.4 mm long, glabrous, dilated in the middle, collar absent, style not subtended by a crown, stigma punctate; ovary 1.6-1.8 × 1.9-2 mm, apex rounded, with bulla-based hairs, placentation axil with deeply intruded placenta, 4-locular; immature berries globose, slightly 4-lobed, color at maturity unknown, but likely purple, 1.6-1.7 mm long (including calyx tube), 1.8-2.2 mm wide, immature seeds obpyramidal, testa smooth, with dark raphe extending the entire length.

Phenology.

Miconia cubana was collected in bud, flower and immature fruit on March 16, if our interpretation of the label data is correct. However, no petals were seen on the type specimens (other than in bud), where only styles and a couple of stamens were present.

Distribution

(Fig. 13 ). Miconia cubana may be restricted to Pinar del Río, Cuba, if our interpretation of Wright’s collections is correct. Three separate labels were distributed by A. Gray of the type material collected by Wright, which at the time was considered to be another species, Miconia asperifolia (see Alain 1955). The sheet of the isotype of Miconia cubana at GH (GH00713104) actually is composed of branches from two species, Miconia cubana and Miconia norlindii . Miconia cubana is the branch in the upper left hand corner on that sheet. It is presumed that the two other labels associated with that specimen actually pertain to Miconia norlindii , as they both refer to eastern Cuba (i.e., Loma del Gato and Cuba Orientali), where Miconia norlindii is found. The third label contains the inscription, Isabel María, which may refer to a valley in western Cuba (Pinar del Río); Wright collected for a time in western Cuba (provinces of La Habana and Pinar del Río) during 1863 and 1864, including trips to Elemento Natural Destacado (END) Pan de Guajaibón in Pinar del Río (Underwood 1905) just north of what is now Reserva Ecológica Sierra la Guira and Retiro. During March of 1860-1862, Wright was in southern Cuba (Monte Verde, Sagua de Tánamo), as well as west-central Cuba ( Ciénaga) but apparently not in the Sierra Maestra around Pico Turquino (Underwood 1905). So the specimens of Miconia norlindii associated with the type of Miconia cubana must have been collected at a different geographical locality and date from the material of Miconia cubana . Therefore, we interpret the Isabel María locality to actually pertain to Miconia cubana , contrary to Howard and Wright (1988) who placed the species around Pico Turquino. Duplicates of Wright 189 at P (P052311330 and BR (BR0000013239626) are specimens of Miconia norlindii , not Miconia cubana , likely a result of Gray’s mixing of Wright’s labels and specimens, as described above.

Ecology.

Nothing is known regarding the ecology of Miconia cubana .

Conservation status.

Data are insufficient for determing the conservation status of Miconia cubana .

Discussion.

Miconia cubana may be closely related to Miconia asperifolia considering the large, expanded, cymose inflorescences and the reduced bulla-based hairs (not filling the areoles) that are seen in some specimens of Miconia asperifolia .

Specimens examined.

Miconia cubana is only known from the type gathering by Charles Wright.

Figures

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 13. Distribution of Miconia cubana (open circle) and Miconia ottoschmidtii (close circles).