Melastoma moluccanum Blume
Table of contents
1. Protologue
Melastoma moluccanum Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Nederl. Indie 17 (1826): 1078. - Otanthera moluccana (Blume) Blume, Flora 14(28) (1831): 489. - Type: Blume s.n., Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia (C!, K!).
Melastoma foliis subquinquenerviis oblongo-lanceolatis acuminatis integerrimis scabris, floribus racemosis terminalibus bracteatis, laciniis calicis (pilis barbato-strigosis) subulatis, caule fruticoso.
Rumph. Herb. Amb. 4: t. 71, sed mediocriter delineatum.
Crescit in Moluccis.
2. Synonyms
- Otanthera celebica Blume, Mus. Bot. Lugd. Bat. 1 (1849): 56. - Type: Forsten s.n., Celebes, Maluku, Indonesia (L, not seen).
- Otanthera gracilis Naudin, Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot., Ser. 3, 13 (1850): 353. - Type: Labillardière s.n., Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia (P!)
- Otanthera nicobarensis Teijsm. & Blume, Tijdschr. Nederl. Indie 25 (1863): 427. - Type: not designated. Lectotype: Didrichsen 3678, Little Nicobar, Nicobar Islands, India, Galathea-Expeditionen 1845-47 (C!)
- Otanthera novoguinensis Baker f., Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 9 (1916): 50. - Type: C.B. Kloss s.n., Setakwa River, Camps I to III, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, 700 ft, 22. Nov 1912 (BM!, L!)
- Otanthera parviflora Merr., Philipp. J. Sci., Bot 12 (1917): 355. - Type: Merr. 8082, Sax River Mountains back of San Ramon, Zamboanga, Philippines, 28 Nov 1911, 800-1100 m (K!)
- Otanthera subrostrata Bakh. f., Meded. Bot. Mus. Herb. Rijks Univ. Utrecht 91 (1943): 106. - Type: Kornassi 955, Seram, Kwaos, Maluku, Indonesia, 0 m (L!).
3. Vernacular names
No vernacular names known!
4. Description
Small shrubs 1.5--2(--3) m tall; young branches quadrangular, sparsely covered with spreading bristles, bark grey; older branches terete, glabrescent. Leaves lanceolate-elliptic, 6--13 x 2.5--4.5 cm, base rounded, apex acuminate; lamina above strigose to appressed-pilose, dark brown when dry, beneath sparsely strigose to glabrous, pale green when dry; nerves 5, beneath sparsely appressed-pilose; petiole 5--12 mm long, indument as on the young branches. Inflorescences many-flowered loose terminal cymes. Flowers 5-merous; bracts lanceolate-ovate acuminate, c. 5 x 3 mm, glabrous but ciliate at the margins, deciduous. Hypanthium campanulate, 3--4 x 3--4 mm, covered with appressed, golden simple bristles or penicillate emergences, c. 1 mm long, or nearly glabrous; sepals narrowly triangular, c. 3.0 x 1.6 mm, outside covered as the hypanthium; intersepalar emergences penicillate, c. 1 mm long, golden. Petals obovate, 9--10 x 7.5--8 mm, ciliate at the apex, violet. Stamens isomorphic, but anthers unequal in length; longer outer anthers 2.8--3 mm long, shorter inner anthers 1.9--2.1 mm long, shortly beaked, yellow; connectives prolonged for c. 0.7 mm, with 2 ventral upward curved appendages 0.3--0.7 mm long; filaments c. 3 mm long. Ovary shorter than the hypanthium, crowned by bristles; style c. 7 mm long, sigmoid. Fruit an indehiscent blue berry.
5. Distribution, ecology and notes
Distribution - India (Andaman and Nicobar Isls.), Indonesia (Sulawesi, Moluccas, Irian Jaya).
Click to get a larger map. Map made with Online Map Creation.
Ecology - Collections: 13. In disturbed places in rainforests.
Notes - Melastoma moluccanum can be identified by its lax inflorescence with small flowers. The distribution shows a distinct disjunction between the Andaman Sea and the Banda/Molucca Sea. The reason for this is unknown, and plants from both areas are morphologically indistinct.
6. Collections
INDIA
- Coll. ign. 2876, Little Nicobar, Nicobar Islands (C)
- Didrichsen 2907, Lambelong, Nicobar Islands (C)
- Didrichsen 3619, Sydlige Nicobaroer
- Mulo Mulu[?], Nicobar Islands (C)
- Didrichsen 3678, Little Nicobar ved Feochen[?], Nicobar Islands (C)
- Dr. King’s Collector s.n., Andaman Islands (L)
INDONESIA
- Blume s.n., Ambon, Maluku, (C)
- de Vriese 84, Ternate, Maluku (L)
- de Vriese s.n., Ceram, Maluku (L)
- Kaudern 9, Goeroepaki, Sulawesi, 600 m (L)
- Kaudern 423, Ost-Celebes, Pinapuan, Sulawesi, 600 m (L)
- Savinierre 96, Coteau au nordest d’un torrent longeant la route de Likupang pres l’entrée de la vallée du Biran, Minahassa, Sulawesi Utara (P)
- Versteeg 1583, Flum. Lorentz, Alkmanbivak, Irian Jaya (K)
- Zippelius s.n., Ambon, Maluku (P).
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