Miconia marigotiana (Urb. & Ekman) Majure & Judd, J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 7: 269. 2013.

Majure, Lucas C., Becquer, Eldis R. & Judd, Walter S., 2016, Revision of the Lima clade (Miconia sect. Lima, Miconieae, Melastomataceae) of the Greater Antilles, PhytoKeys 72, pp. 1-99 : 62-66

16. Miconia marigotiana (Urb. & Ekman) Majure & Judd, J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 7: 269. 2013. Fig. 25

Ossaea marigotiana Urb. & Ekman, Ark. Bot. 22A(17): 65. 1929. Type: HAITI. Sud Est. Massif de la Selle, Marigot, Sd. Bassin Chotard, 9 June 1928, 1750 m, E.L. Ekman H10071 (lectotype: S! [S-R-10015], designated here; isolectotypes: EHH n.v., G! [G00353949], GH! [GH00112521], NY! [NY00099703], US! [US00775451]).

Leandra marigotiana (Urb. & Ekman) Alain, Sida 18: 1026. 1999. Type: Based on Ossaea marigotiana Urb. & Ekman

Type.

Based on Ossaea marigotiana Urb. & Ekman

Description.

Evergreen shrub, 2-3 m tall; stems round in cross section, not ridged, the internodes 0.9-2.6 cm long, stem indumentum of ascending, appressed, moderately bulla-based hairs to 1.6 mm long; nodal line absent. Leaves opposite, decussate, narrowly elliptic to rhomboid, 2.3-6.6 × 0.9-2.3 cm, slightly anisophyllous, apex acute, base acute to slightly rounded, venation acrodromous, 5-veined, the midvein and 2 pairs of arching secondary veins, the outermost intramarginal, secondary veins mostly basal to suprabasal, the innermost pair suprabasal, produced 2.1-9.3 mm from leaf base, po sitioned 1.0-2.7 mm in from margin at widest point of blade, tertiary veins percurrent, more or less perpendicular to midvein, 1.0-2.3 mm apart at midleaf, intertertiary veins present, tertiary veins often joined by quaternary veins; adaxial leaf surface densely covered in well developed bulla-based hairs, these covering the leaf areoles, widest hair bases to 1.8 mm, apices of bulla-based hairs mostly recurved toward the leaf margin, young leaf adaxial surface producing occasional long-stemmed, clavate-dentritic hairs along the primary veins towards the leaf base, sessile, glandular hairs produced along the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary veins between the bulla-based hairs; abaxial leaf surface covered in bulla-based hairs, these appressed and ascending along the primary, secondary, and tertiary veins, and erect to spreading on those of along quaternary veins and lamina, those along the primary, secondary, and tertiary veins larger than hairs produced throughout the lamina, the lamina mostly obscured by bulla-based hairs, lamina appearing as a series of pits from depressions of the bulla-based hairs produced from the upper leaf surface and slightly raised intertertiary veins, sessile to short-stalked, glandular hairs produced from between the bulla-based hairs on the lamina; petioles 0.7-1.1 cm long, covered in ascending, appressed, bulla-based hairs on both surfaces. Inflorescences terminal, 9-26 flowered cymes, flowers mostly produced in glomerulate clusters, 2.3-4.1 × 1.0-5.6 cm, the peduncle 0.6-2.5 cm long, proximal inflorescence branches 7-19 mm long; bracts narrowly ovate with an attenuate apex, 1.9-2.1 mm long; bracteoles narrowly ovate, 1.1-1.4 × 0.2-0.22 mm, with an attenuate apex, both bracts and bracteoles only differentiated from bulla-based stem hairs by size, otherwise identical, glabrous or basally with bulla-based hairs. Flowers 5-merous, sessile or with pedicels to 0.3 mm long; hypanthium (immature) ca. 2 mm long, short-oblong, unlobed, slightly constricted below the torus, free portion of the hypanthium ca. 0.5 mm long, abaxial surface covered in bulla-based hairs from 1.1-1.3 mm long, and occasional, sessile, glandular hairs near the bases of the bulla-based hairs; adaxial surface (i.e., free portion) covered in small, bulla-based hairs; calyx teeth 1-1.3 × 0.4-0.5 mm, ascending or spreading, covered in bulla-based hairs; calyx lobes more or less triangular, 0.8-1.2 × 0.5-0.6 mm, apex acute, covered in bulla-based hairs abaxially and sessile, glandular hairs adaxially; calyx tube apparently not tearing, 0.4-0.6 mm long with bulla-based hairs abaxially and sessile, glandular hairs adaxially; petals 4-5, white, ovate, ca. 1.2 × 0.5 mm (immature), with an acute apex and membranous margin, with one large bulla-based hair produced abaxially, just below the apex, to 0.7 mm long; stamens 8-10; filaments (immature) ca. 1.2 mm long, glabrous, anthers (immature) 1-1.1 mm long, with one dorsally oriented pore, anther thecae (immature) 0.9-1 mm long, anthers with a dorso-basal appendage to 0.1 mm long; style ca. 0.9 mm long, glabrous, not dilated in the middle, collar absent, style apparently not subtended by a crown of hairs, stigma punctate; ovary ca. 1.2 × 1.1 mm, apex flat to concave, apparently glabrous, placentation axile with deeply intruded placenta, 2-locular; berries not seen, seeds not seen.

Phenology.

Plants have only been collected in June, and these were in bud, and appear to be just before anthesis.

Distribution

(Fig. 21 ). Haiti, Dept. du Sud Est, Massif de la Selle, Marigot, Bassin Chotard.

Ecology.

Virtually nothing is known regarding the ecology of this species, but it was collected at 1750 m in elevation, so was likely growing in a moist montane forest over limestone.

Conservation status.

Miconia marigotiana should be considered endangered, as the part of Massif de la Selle north of Marigot from where the species was collected is under intense pressure from habitat destruction, as a result of current subsistence farming practices and charcoal production. However, we do not have sufficient data to determine the species’ current conservation status and thus consider it data deficient.

Discussion.

Miconia marigotiana is likely very closely related to Miconia lima and Miconia limoides , however, it differs from both species in leaf shape, as well as the 2-carpellate ovaries.

Specimens examined.

This species is known only from the type gathering by Ekman.

Figures

Figure 21. Distribution of Miconia marigotiana (closed star), Miconia lima (closed circles), Miconia pedunculata (open circles) and Miconia pagnolensis sp. nov. (open star).

Figure 25. Illustration of Miconia marigotiana A habit B adaxial leaf surface showing well developed bulla-based hairs completely covering areoles C petals in bud showing bulla-based hairs on abaxial surface D stamen E anther ventral and dorsal surfaces F immature fruit longitudinal section G fruit cross section showing two carpels (all from Ekman 10071).