Conostegia rubiginosa Gleason, 1945

Kriebel, Ricardo, 2016, A Monograph of Conostegia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae), PhytoKeys 67, pp. 1-326 : 140

Conostegia rubiginosa Gleason Fig. 131

Conostegia rubiginosa Gleason, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 72: 473. 1945. Type: Colombia. El Valle: Quebrada de Guapecito, rio Cajambre, Costa del Pacifico, 0-5 m, 16 May 1944, J. Cuatrecasas 17700 (holotype: NY!, isotypes: F!, US!).

Description.

Shrubs to trees 3-6 m tall with tetragonal to terete and slightly ridged stems that are covered with a mixture of sessile stellate and stalked-stellate hairs sometimes intermixed with simple hairs or sometimes glabrescent and becoming glabrous with age; the nodal line present (sometimes obscured by indument). Leaves at a node equal to subequal in size. Petioles 0.4-2.5 cm. Leaf blades 5.5-25 × 3-9 cm, 3-5 nerved or less frequently plinerved, if plinerved with the innermost veins diverging from the midvein up to ca. 1 cm above the base in opposite or alternate fashion, elliptic to ovate, the base obtuse to acute, acuminate to caudate, the margin entire to denticulate, the adaxial foliar surface essentially glabrous, the abaxial surface densely pubescent with rusty brown stellate and branching trichomes, sessile or short stipitate, especially on the main veins and lightly pubescent to glabrescent on the surface. Inflorescence a terminal panicle 5.5-13 cm long, accessory branches present or absent, the rachis pubsecent with brown stellate and branching trichomes, the bracteoles to 4 mm long, lanceolate to ovate, persistent or caducous. Flowers sessile or with pedicels up to 2 mm long, 6-7 merous, calyptrate. Floral buds 5.5-11 × 3.7-5.5 mm, obovoid, the base flat to rounded, and apex broadly acute, slightly to not constricted near the torus; the hypanthium 4.5-6 × 4.5-6 mm, rusty brown pubescent and sometimes sparsely tuberculate. Petals 7-9 × 6-8.5 mm, translucent white, obovate, spreading, glabrous, asymmetrical. Stamens 15-24, 5.5-6.5 mm, slightly zygomorphic, the filaments 2.75-3.25 mm, white, anthers 2.5-3 × 0.5-0.75 mm, linear to elliptic, laterally compressed and with an anther shoulder, yellow, the pore ca. 0.1 mm, subterminal and slightly ventrally inclined. Ovary 6-7 locular, inferior, apically glabrous and with a low collar around the style base. Style 6-7 mm long, straight to bending sideways, vertical distance from the anthers to the stigma 1.75-2.5 mm, horizontal distance 0-1 mm; stigma capitate, ca. 1 mm wide. Berry and seeds not seen.

Distribution

(Fig. 132 ). West coast of Colombia, sea level to 100 m elevation.

For the few specimens studied, Conostegia rubiginosa is quite variable in leaf size and consistency. Conostegia rubiginosa can be confused with Conostegia centronioides , Conostegia lasiopoda and Conostegia rufescens . From Conostegia centronioides it can be distinguish by the larger flowers without a constriction in the hypanthium, and denser reddish indument. From Conostegia rufescens it can be distinguished by its exserted style. For differences between this species and Conostegia lasiopoda , see the discussion under the latter.

Specimens examined.

COLOMBIA. Chocó: Municipio de Atrato , Corregiemiento Doña Josefa, road between Quibdo and Municipio de Atrato (formerly Yuto), Almeda et al. 10426 (CAS); Carretera Quibdó-Guayabal, Forero and Jaramillo 2783 (COL) . El Valle: Costa del Pacífico, rio Cajambre , Silva, Cuatrecasas 17538 (NY) .

Figures

Figure 131. Conostegia rubiginosa. A Inflorescence and frontal view of a flower B Lateral view of the flower. Note exserted style. Photographs taken by Frank Almeda and vouchered F. Almeda 10426.

Figure 132. Distribution of Conostegia rubiginosa.