Conostegia iteophylla (Almeda) Kriebel, 2016

Kriebel, Ricardo, 2016, A Monograph of Conostegia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae), PhytoKeys 67, pp. 1-326 : 192-193

Conostegia iteophylla (Almeda) Kriebel comb. nov.

Conostegia iteophylla (Almeda) Kriebel. Basionym: Miconia iteophylla Almeda, Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 46(9): 214. 1989. Type: Panama. Coclé: along Río San Juan below its junction with Río Tife, elev. 1200 ft (366 m), 11 June 1978, B. Hammel 3393 (holotype: CAS!, isotype: MO!).

Description.

Shrubs 0.4-1.5 m tall with sub quadrate to terete branches moderately covered with a brown scurfy-pulverulent indument; the nodal line nodal line present. Leaves of a pair equal to somewhat unequal in size. Petiole 2.5-1.1 cm. Leaf blade 1.7-9.5 × 0.4-1.7 cm, 3-plinerved, with the innermost pair of veins diverging from the midvein 0.2-0.7 mm above the base in opposite or sub opposite fashion, narrowly elliptic, the base acute to attenuate, the apex acuminate, the margin entire, deciduously pulverulent adaxially when young but soon becoming glabrous, the abaxial surface deciduously scurfy pulverulent on the veins. Inflorescence a terminal paniculate cyme 2-7 cm long, branching above the base, accessory branches absent, rachis brown scurfy, bracteoles 0.5-3.5 × 0.25-0.5 mm, linear-oblong to triangular, sessile and persistent, paired and fused laterally into a short nodal collar. Pedicel 1-2 mm. Flowers 5-merous, calyx in bud not calyptrate nor fused in bud, hypanthium 1-1.5 mm, campanulate, deciduously scurfy pulverulent, calyx tube 0.25 mm long, the lobes barely discernible as triangular undulations, calyx teeth subulate ca. 0.25 mm long. Petals 2-2.5 × 0.6-0.8 mm, white, elliptic oblong, their posture not observed at anthesis, glabrous and entire, narrowly rounded to acute apically. Stamens 10, 2.5-3 mm long, apparently radially arranged around the style, the filament 1.25-1.5 mm, the geniculation near the apex of the filament apparently present, white, anthers 1.25-1.5 × 0.25-0.5 mm, linear-oblong, yellow, laterally compressed, the connective thickened dorsally, the pore ca. 0.1 mm wide, dorsally inclined. Ovary 5 locular, 2/3 inferior, the apex fluted and glandular puberulent. Style 3.5-4 mm long, distance from the anther pore to the stigma ca. 1 mm, the stigma capitate, ca. 0.3 mm wide. Berry 2-4 × 3-4 mm, red turning purple black. Seeds ca. 0.5 mm long, irregularly triangular to angulate-ovoid, the testa smooth and polished on the convex face.

Distribution.

Endemic to Panama, where it grows near moving water (fide Almeda), 200-700 m. Fig. 171 .

When Almeda (1989a) described Miconia iteophylla he noted the strong similarity between it and Miconia ligulata (here combined to Conostegia consimilis ). Indeed it appears to be a narrow leaf Conostegia consimilis . Unfortunately I have not been able to place Miconia iteophylla in the molecular phylogeny and test this possible close relationship. A line drawing of this species is available in the protologue ( Almeda 1989a). For further dicussion of the differences between Conostegia iteophylla and Conostegia consimilis see the discussion under the latter.

Specimens examined.

PANAMA. Bocas del Toro (fide Almeda): upper Rio San Pedro , Gordon 59Db (MO) . Coclé: trail from Caño Sucio to Cerro Tife on the Atlanti slope, Antonio 3669 (CAS); Caribbean side of divide at El Copé, Hamilton and Davidse 2628 (CAS) .

Figures

Figure 171. Distribution of Conostegia iteophylla.