Miconia pusilliflora ( Candolle 1828: 194 ) Naudin (1850: 171)

Silva-Gonçalves, Kelly Cristina Da, Baumgratz, José Fernando A. & Nunes-Freitas, André Felippe, 2014, Melastomataceae in a continental Atlantic Forest island from southeastern Brazil, Phytotaxa 183 (2), pp. 61-92 : 79

5.10. Miconia pusilliflora ( Candolle 1828: 194) Naudin (1850: 171) . [ Figs. 3o , 8j–m ]

Trees 7–13 m; indumentum of the branches, leaves, inflorescences, hypanthium and calyx furfuraceous-stellulate, trichomes early-caducous. Petioles 1.5–2.4 cm long; blade 8.6–25 × 1.9–5.3 cm, green subconcolour, chartaceous, elliptic, base acute, apex acuminate to caudate, margin serrulate; acrodromous basal veins 3; domatia absent. Thyrsoids 3.6–11.5 cm long, no branchlets of glomerules; bracts caducous, not seen; bracteoles 0.3–0.9 × 0.1–0.2 mm, lineartriangular, caducous. Flowers 4–5-merous, pedicelate; hypanthium 0.9–1.1 × 0.9–1 mm, campanulate; inner torus glabrous; calyx caducous, lobes 0.9–1 × 0.8–0.9 mm, triangular, margin ciliolate; petals 1.1–1.5 × 0.9–1 mm, white, asymmetric, apex rounded; stamens isomorphic, equal in size, filaments 1.8–2 mm long; anthers 1.3–1.5 mm long, white, straight, pore ventral, very wide and prolonged to the base as a longitudinal slit, connective ca. 0.2 mm prolonged, unappendaged; ovary 0.2–0.3 × 0.4–0.5 mm, inferior, 3-celled, glabrescent; style 3-3.2 mm long, glabrous. Baccaceous 2–4 × 1.3–3.5 mm, costate when young, oligospermous (2–6 seeds); seeds 2.8–3.8 × 1.8–2 mm, ovate to suborbicular, convex, testa smooth, slightly sulcate along the length.

Specimens examined:— 2.III.2008, fl., R.S. Nunes 2 (RBR) ; 27.IX.2009, fr., K.C. Silva 58 (RBR) ; 19.III.2010, fl., K.C. Silva 81 (RBR) ; 15.V.2010, fl., fr., K.C. Silva & F.S. Gonçalves 101 (RBR) .

Distribution:— Miconia pusilliflora occurs in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. In Brazil it is endemic to the Atlantic Forest Biome, and found from the state of Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul (Goldenberg 2009, 2012).

Comments:—This is the first record to Marambaia, where this species occurs in Restinga Forest and Dense Submontane Ombrophilous Forest. It can also be distinguished by the green subconcolored leaves, with acuminate to caudate apices, serrulate margins, and the young costate fruits. A peculiar morphological characteristic is the presence of domatia on the abaxial leaf surface, but those may be absent ( Baumgratz 1984, Baumgratz et al. 2006, Goldenberg 2009). In specimens of M. pusilliflora from Marambaia, these foliar structures have not been found. Additional illustrations in Cogniaux (1883 –1888), and Baumgratz et al. (2006).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Clidemia hirta (L.) D.Don: a. flower and fruit. Clidemia urceolata: b. flower. Huberia ovalifolia: c. flower; d. fruits. Leandra reversa: e. inflorescence. Marcetia taxifolia: f. flowers. Miconia albicans: g. fruits and floral buds. Miconia calvescens: h. flowers. Miconia chartacea: i. leaves. Miconia cinnamomifolia: j. branches with interpetiolar pseudo-stipules; k. fruits. Miconia cubatanensis: l. inflorescence. Miconia dodecandra: m. fruits. Miconia prasina: n. inflorescence. Miconia pusilliflora: o. inflorescence. Ossaea marginata: p. flowers; q. fruit. Tibouchina corymbosa: r. fruits. Tibouchina estrellensis: s. flower. Tibouchina gaudichaudiana: t. flower; u. fruit. Tibouchina granulosa: v. flower. Tibouchina heteromalla: x. flower. Tibouchina trichopoda: z. flower.

FIGURE 8. Miconia dodecandra: a. flower; b. petal; c–d. stamens; e. bracteole; f. calyx (a–d., f. Silva 7; e. Silva 14). Miconia lepidota: g. floriferous branch; h. leaf: abaxial surface; i. flower (g–h. Luchiari et al. 722; i. Farias et al. 197). Miconia pusilliflora: j. leaf: abaxial surface; k. hypanthium; l. calyx; m. stamen (Silva & Gonçalves 101). Miconia prasina: n–o. leaf: abaxial and adaxial surfaces, respectively; p. flower; q. fruit (Kurtz 167).