Meriania speciosa (Bonpl.) Naudin

Fernandez-Hilario, Robin, Goldenberg, Renato & Michelangeli, Fabián A., 2023, A synopsis of Meriania (Melastomataceae: Merianieae) in Peru, Phytotaxa 602 (1), pp. 1-101 : 70-71

26. Meriania speciosa (Bonpl.) Naudin , Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot., ser. 3, 18: 128 (1852).

Chaetogastra speciosa (Bonpl.) DC. , Prodr. 3: 131 (1828). Basionym: Rhexia speciosa Bonpl. , Monogr. Melast. 2: 9, t. 4 (1806).

Type:— COLOMBIA. Cauca: Prope Popayán, no date (fl.), A. Bonpland 2027 (lectotype, designated by Mendoza-Cifuentes 2021: P! [barcode P00136460 ]; isolectotypes: F! [accession no. 940290 ], P! [barcodes P00136461 , P00136462], US! [barcode 00120188 ]) . ( Figure 57 ).

Meriania spruceana Cogn. in A.DC. & C.DC., Monogr. Phan. 7: 426 (1891). Meriania longifolia var. spruceana (Cogn.) Cuatr., Trab. del Mus. Nac. de Cienc. Nat. de Madrid 33: 93. 1936. Meriania longifolia var. spruceana (Cogn.) J.F.Macbr., Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Bot. Ser. 13(4/1): 309 (1941), isonym. Type:— PERU. San Martín: In monte Campana prope Tarapoto, Aug 1856 (fl.), R. Spruce 4204 (lectotype, designated here: BR! [barcode 000005201327]; isolectotypes: B-probably destroyed [negative at F], BR! [barcode 000005201624], C! [barcode C10014729], E! [barcode E00285763], F!-fragment [accession no. 869148], G! [barcode G00319573], GH! [barcode 00072679], K! [barcodes K000006312, K000006313], LD! [barcode 1683604], NY! [barcode 00228979], P! [barcode P02274656], TCD! [barcode TCD0000734]).

For other synonyms see Mendoza-Cifuentes (2021).

Comments:— The Peruvian specimens of M. speciosa are easily recognisable by their narrowly elliptic to lanceolate leaf blades 7.7–10 × 1.3–2.1 cm ( Fig. 57B ), solitary inflorescences or sometimes in 3-flowered dichasia, glabrous hypanthia and calyces, calyces with acute dorsal projections ( Fig. 57E ), spreading, reddish-purple corollas, isomorphic stamens, and stamen connectives with one triangular descending dorso-basal appendage ( Fig. 57G ). These characters are constant in all examined specimens. Historically, the Peruvian populations of M. speciosa have been recognized as a distinct entity, as M. spruceana ( Cogniaux 1891, Brako & Zarucchi 1993) or M. longifolia var. spruceana ( Macbride 1941) . These populations have been considered related to M. candollei Cogn. , M. grandidens Triana , M. lindenii Cogn. , M. longifolia (Naudin) Cogn. , M. speciosa (Bonpl.) Naudin and M. umbellata H.Karst. , all endemic to Colombia, except M. longifolia (also in Venezuela) and M. speciosa (also in Ecuador). These species have been traditionally accepted in different works ( Almeda et al. 2021; Brako & Zarucchi 1993; Wurdack 1973, 1980). However, Mendoza-Cifuentes (2021) considered in his taxonomic revision of Meriania for Colombia that all of them are synonyms of M. speciosa . In fact, there is a lot of variability in all the specimens from Colombia and Venezuela, and it is not possible to clearly determine the morphological limits between the entities. Also, Mendoza-Cifuentes (2021) reported the presence of intermediate forms in the Colombian populations. Therefore, we have chosen to consider M. speciosa as a highly variable species for the moment.

Among Peruvian species, M. speciosa could be confused with M. prunifolia due to the small leaves, sometimes elliptic leaf blades and solitary inflorescences. However, the former is easily distinguishable by its glabrous terminal branches and leaf blades (vs. moderately to densely furfuraceous in M. prunifolia ), terete hypanthia (vs. slightly costate), and calyces with acute dorsal projections (vs. aciculate).

Nomenclatural notes:— Cogniaux (1891) cited Spruce 4204 as type in the protologue of M. spruceana but without indicating any herbarium, so it must be considered as a syntype conforming with Art. 9.6 of the ICN ( Turland et al. 2018). Therefore, according to Art. 9.3 and 9.12 of the ICN ( Turland et al. 2018), we chose as lectotype the sheet 000005201327 (BR) because contains a label indicating that it was part of A. Cogniaux’s herbarium and probably that was the material he examined for the description of M. spruceana .

Distribution and phenology:— Meriania speciosa is distributed from Venezuela to northern Peru, and occurs in the departments of Amazonas and San Martín in premontane and montane forests at 900–1850 m ( Fig. 16 ). It has been collected in flower in January, February, April, May, August, and September, and in fruit in April.

Specimens examined:— PERU. Amazonas: Prov. Rodríguez de Mendoza, Dist. Chirimoto , entre Zrumilla y Achamal, borde del camino, 1100 m, 12 Sep 2001 (fl.), V. Quipuscoa & M. Vilchez 2709 ( F!, HUT!) ; Dist. Vista Alegre , entre Valle Encantado y Salas, 1100–1853 m, 06°15’07.1”S, 77°16’23.2”W, 30 May 2008 (fl.), V. Quipuscoa et al. 4063 ( HSP!, HUT!) . San Martín: Zepelacio, near Moyobamba , 1100 m, May 1934 (fl.), G. Klug 3642 ( F!, NY!, US!) . Prov. Huallaga, Dist. Saposoa, alrededores de Monumentos Históricos de Buenos Aires (Zarumilla), 1440 m, 06°36’34”S, 77°21’30”W, 11 Aug 2000 (fl.), V. Quipuscoa et al. 2036 ( F!, HUT!) . Prov. Lamas, Dist. Alonso de Alvarado, San Juán de Pacayzapa , al este del puente (Carretera a Moyobamba), 900 m, 12 Apr 1973 (fl., fr.), J. Schunke V. 5906 ( F!, NY!, U!, US!) . Prov. San Roque , without locality, 1350–1500 m, Jan-Feb 1930 (fl.), L. Williams 7010 ( F!, NY!, US!) .

Figures

FIGURE 16. Distribution map of M. bongarana, M. escalerensis, M. megaphylla, M. ninakurorum, M. prunifolia, M. speciosa and M. urceolata.

FIGURE 57. Meriania speciosa. A. Terminal fertile branch with inflorescences. B. Leaf blade, abaxial view. C. Detail of the abaxial surface. D. Flower bud Petal. E. Flower with petals, stamens and style removed. F. Petal. G. Stamen, lateral view. A from L. Williams 7010; B–G from V. Quipuscoa et al. 2036.