Bellucia dichotoma Cogniaux (1888: 514)

Corrêa, André Luis, Scudeller, Veridiana Vizoni & Goldenberg, Renato, 2017, Melastomataceae in the Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável do Tupé, Amazonas, Brazil, Phytotaxa 323 (2), pp. 101-127 : 107-108

5. Bellucia dichotoma Cogniaux (1888: 514) .

Trees 4–30 m tall. Dark gray and scaly rhytidome. Erect branches, cylindrical, not winged, whitish brown; branches, leaves, inflorescence, hypanthium and fruits with simple trichomes, caducous. Leaves opposite isophyllous; petiole slightly channeled 3.8–5.3 cm long; leaf blades 23–31 × 13.4–21.2 cm, coriaceous, concolorous, oval, base cuneate, apex acuminate, margins entire, not ciliate, leaf veins 5, basal or suprabasal; ant domatia absent. Cyme, cauliflorous; bracts and bracteoles absent. Flowers 6-merous; pedicel 16–18 mm long; hypanthium ca. 9 mm, campanulate, smooth; calyx simple, persitent; petals 21.2–25.5 × 13.2–16.2 mm, white, obovate, symmetrical, apex acute, margins not ciliate, glabrous; stamens 12–13, isomorphic, anthers 8.5–8.9 mm long, ovoid, straight, apex acute, 2 subapical pores, connective not prolonged, filament 10.6–10.8 mm long, glabrous; ovary 5–7 mm long, inferior, placentation intrusive axillary, 12-locular, glabrous; style 21.7–28.6 mm long, straight, glabrous. Berry 24.6 × 28.6 mm, unripe fruit green, ripe fruit yellow; seeds numerous, ovoid.

Specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Amazonas , Manaus, RDS-Tupé, 05 June 2012, fl.,fr., A. L. Corrêa 12 ( EAFM!, HUAM!, INPA!) ; 09 June 2012, fl., fr., A. L. Corrêa 25 ( EAFM!, HUAM!, INPA!) .

Distribution and habitat: — Bolivia (Renner 1989). In Brazil it occurs in Amazonian florests ( Lima & Baumgratz 2015). In the reserve it occurs in altered areas, trail edges, and in “terra firme”, inside natural openings in the forest.

Comments: —This s pecies is frequent in the reserve. It can be distinghuished by the dark gray and scaly rhytidome and cauliflorous cymes.