Bellucia grossularioides

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 : 108

6. Bellucia grossularioides (Linnaeus: 1753: 390) Triana (1871: 141–142).

Trees 12–18 m tall. Dark gray and scaly rhytidome. Branches erect, cylindrical, not winged, blackish, glabrous. Leaves opposite isophyllous; petiole striate 2.2–2.8 cm long, glabrous; leaf blades 13.1–22.3x 7.8–11.2 cm, chartaceous, discolored, symmetrical, elliptical, base cuneate, apex acuminate, margins entire and ciliate, adaxial side glabrous, abaxial surface with simple caducous trichomes, leaf veins 5, suprabasal; ant domatia absent. Inflorescences axillary; bracts and bracteoles not seen. Flowers 6-merous; pedicel 8.2–11.3 mm long; hypanthium ca. 12.4 mm long, campanulate, smooth, with simple caducous trichomes; calyx simple, caducous; petals 19.7–21.3 × 14.6–15.3 mm, white, obovate, symmetrical, apex acute, base attenuate, margins not ciliate, glabrous; stamens 12, isomorphic, anthers 7.3–7.8 mm long, ovoid, straight, apex truncate, 2 subapical pores; connective not prolonged, appendaged, filament 9–9.8 mm long, glabrous; ovary ca. 5.7 mm long, inferior, placentation intrusive axile, 12-locular, glabrous; style ca. 22 mm long, straight, glabrous. Berry 26 × 30 mm, unripe fruit green, ripe fruit yellow; seeds numerous, ovoid.

Specimens examined: — BRAZIL. Amazonas, Manaus, RDS-Tupé, 16 August 2012, fl., A.L. Corrêa 55 (EAFM!, HUAM!, INPA!).

Distribution and habitat: —Central America, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, Peru, Bolivia ( Berry et al. 2001). In Brazil it occurs in Amazonian florests and Cerrado ( Lima & Baumgratz 2015). In the reserve, it occurs in “terra firme”, on slopes and clay soils with low organic matter.

Comments: This s pecies is rare in the reserve. It can be distinguished by the dark gray and scaly rhytidome, and by the ramiflorous inflorescences. It can be confounded with Bellucia dichotoma , which have cauliflorous inflorescences.