Miconia

Gómez, Jesús Ricardo De Santiago & Michelangeli, Fabián A., 2016, Miconia portogallensis (Melastomataceae) a new species from the Sierra Madre del Sur, Guerrero, Mexico, Phytotaxa 278 (2), pp. 132-140 : 138-139

Key to the dioecious species of Miconia from Mexico and Mesoamerica

1. Branches obviously quadrate to quadrangular...................................................................................................................................2

- Branches obscurely quadrate to terete or sulcate...............................................................................................................................4

2. Stem internodes short and rugose; leaves coriaceous ...................................................................................................... M. coriacea

- Stem internodes long and smooth; leaves membranaceous to chartaceous.......................................................................................3

3. Young stems terete to obscurely quadrate, interpetiolar line absent; leaves basally-nerved to plinerved apex of the ovary in pistillater flowers with small glandular trichomes ....................................................................................................................... M. glaberrima

- Young stems quadrangular, interpetiolar line present; leaves always basally nerved; apex of the ovary in pistillate flowers glabrous. ....................................................................................................................................................................... M. rzedowskii

4. Branches and/or petioles with simple trichomes, (other types of trichomes may be present as well................................................5

- Branches and/or petioles lacking simple trichomes (either glabrous or with only lepidote or flat scales).......................................8

5. Young branches indumentum redish to brown, composed of a mix of dendritic, stipitate-stellate and simple glandular trichomes 1.5 mm ................................................................................................................................................................................. M. vestita

- Young branches indumentum whitish or yellowish, composed of simple non-glandular trichomes, and occasionally with dendritic trichomes and sessile (or nearly so) glandular trichomes...................................................................................................................6

6. Leaf blades basally-nerved; apex of the petioles and young branches with sparse robust conical trichomes; leaf adaxial surface with sparse simple trichomes................................................................................................................................................. M. oligotricha

- Leaf blades plinerved; apex of the petiole and young branches with dense to sparse simple flexuous trichomes; leaf adaxial surface lacking simple trichomes....................................................................................................................................................................7

7. Branches, leaves, and inflorescences with dendritic trichomes; leaf abaxial surface with mite domatia formed by dense simple trichomes at the union of the primary and innermost secondary veins. ................................................................. M. portogallensis

- Branches, leaves, and inflorescences without dendritic trichomes; leaf abaxial surface without mite domatia but rather with spreading trichomes along the veins ................................................................................................................................... M. sterilis

8. Plants essentially glabrous or with a sparse brownish indumentum of small caduceus scales .................................... M. glaberrima

- Plants with roughened-flattened trichomes and stellate to stellulate trichomes.................................................................................9

9. Indumentum whitish to yellow, composed of spreading flattened trichomes; hypanthia 1 mm long, berry white at maturity ........... ........................................................................................................................................................................................ M. purulensis

- Indumentum reddish to brownish, composed of long roughened trichomes; hypanthia 2–2.5 mm long; berries blue to turquoise at maturity.............................................................................................................................................................................................10

10. Indumentum of stellate, fimbriate or asperous trichomes; leaves ovate to oblong, the base rounded to cordiform ........................... ................................................................................................................................................................................ M. hemenostigma

- Indumentum of flattened irregularly roughened trichomes; leaves ovate to obovate-elliptic, the base acute to obtuse.. M. alpestris