Tibouchina heteromalla (Don 1823: 295) Cogniaux (1906: 336)

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 : 124

39. Tibouchina heteromalla (Don 1823: 295) Cogniaux (1906: 336) .

Shrubs ca. 1.80 m tall. Smooth brown rhytidome. Branches erect, quadrangular, not winged, whitish; branches, petioles, leaves both sides, inflorescence, bracteoles, hypanthium and fruits with simple persistent trichomes. Leaves opposite, isophyllous; petioles slightly channelled 1.5–3.2 cm long; leaf blades 13.5–16.5 × 6.5–8.2 cm, chartaceous, concolorous, symmetrical, oval, base rounded or subcordate, apex acute, margins crenate, ciliate, leaf veins 7, basal; ant domatia absent. Thyrsoid 28.3–34.6 × 16.4–23.8 cm, terminal; bracts absent; bracteoles ca. 8.2 mm long, oval, with simple persistent trichomes. Flowers 5-merous; hypanthium ca. 5.2 mm long, oblong, smooth; lacinia persistent; petals ca. 17.6– 17.1 mm, purplish, obovate, symmetrical, apex emarginate, base attenuate, margins not ciliate, glabrous; stamens 10, heteromorphic, smaller anthers 3.9–4.4 mm, larger anthers 5–5.3 mm long, purplish, sickle-shaped, curved, apex attenuate,1 apical pore, connective prolonged 1–1.1 mm long, with ventral appendage, smaller filaments 4.3–4.8 mm long, with two glandular trichomes, larger filaments 6–6.3 mm long, with several glandular persistent trichomes, ovary superior, placentation axillary intrusive, 5-locular, with glandular trichomes; style ca. 6.7 mm long, curved, with persistent trichomes. Capsule ca. 7.3 × 4.8 mm, unripe fruit green, ripe fruit purple; seeds numerous, cochleate.

Specimen examined:— BRAZIL. Amazonas, Manaus, RDS-Tupé, 08 June 2002, fl., V.V. Scudeller 960 (HUAM!).

Additional specimen examined: — BRAZIL. Amazonas, Manaus, 17 November1982, fr., S. Renner 655 (INPA!).

Distribution and habitat:— Endemic to Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Cerrado ( Guimarães, 2015). In the reserve, it is cultivated in the backyards as an ornamental plant.

Comments:— Among the Tibouchina species that occur in the reserve, it differs by the oval leaf blade.