Melastoma sabahense K. Meyer
Plate legend: habit; flower bud; intersepalar emegence.
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Table of contents
1. Protologue
Melastoma sabahense K. Meyer, Diss. Univ. Mainz (1999): 103. - Holotypus: Wong Kinabalu 93-51, Malaysia, Sabah, Mt. Kinabalu, near Timpohon, 4500 ft, 6. Jun 1993 (SAN!).
Frutex erectus foliis lanceolatis septemnervia a M. velutinosum Ridl. squamis nerviis calycisque aureis distincta.
2. Synonyms
No synonyms known!
3. Vernacular names
No vernacular names known!
4. Description
Shrubs or trees up to 20 m high; young branches subquadrangular, covered with appressed slender scales, bark brown; old branches terete, glabrescent. Leaves lanceolate, 7.5--14.5 x 2.2--5.5 cm, base rounded to acute, apex acuminate, lamina strigose above, below with short, semi-erect bristles; nerves 7, beneath covered with long, golden appressed scales; petiole 15--20 mm long, covered with appressed and slightly spreading scales. Inflorescence a terminal cyme of 6--10 flowers. Flowers 5-merous, bracts deciduous, lanceolate, 9--12 x 4--6 mm, covered with appressed scales or short bristles. Hypanthium campanulate, 8--12 x 8--10 mm, densely covered with c. 4 mm long, golden, slightly spreading scales; sepals triangular, 8--12 x 3--4.5 mm, the outside covered with the same bristles as on the hypanthium, the inside glabrous; intersepalar emergences 2--3 mm long with c. 2 mm long golden bristles at the apex. Petals obovate, c. 33--37 x 27--30 mm, ciliate at the apex, pink to blue-lilac. Stamens dimorphic; longer outer stamens with 10--12 mm long violet anthers, connectives 10--11 mm long, ventrally curved and with two ventral appendages c. 1.7--2.0 mm long, filaments c. 7--8 mm long; shorter inner stamens with 9--10 mm long yellow anthers, connectives not prolonged, with two basal-ventrally appendages c. 0.8 mm long, filaments 7--8 mm long. Ovary as long as the hypanthium, apically crowned by long golden bristles; style 21--28 mm long, sigmoid. Fruit a campanulate fleshy capsule, 10--12 x 10--12 mm, rupturing irregularly longitudinally at maturity.
5. Distribution, ecology and notes
Distribution - Malaysia: Sabah.
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Ecology - Collections: 8. In primary and secondary forests on mountains between 1350 m and 1800 m altitude.
Notes - This species can be identified by its golden hypanthium bristles and the golden scales on the leaf nerves. It is known only from Gunung Alab and Mt. Kinabalu, both in the Malaysian state of Sabah.
6. Collections
MALAYSIA
- Amin SAN 60479, G. Alab, Tambunan distr., Sabah, 1800 m (SING, SAN, CMU, AA)
- Clausing 28, Kinabalu Nationalpark: road to powerstation, Sabah (Mt. Kinabalu Herbarium, MJG)
- Clausing 77, Kinabalu Nationalpark, Sabah, 1900 m (Mt. Kinabalu Herbarium)
- Cockburn SAN 70149, Mesilau Village, Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah, 1100 m (L)
- Meyer 9530, Kinabalu National Park, Headquarter, Kiau View Trail, Sabah, 1600 m (KEP)
- Mikil SAN 56256, Kinabalu National Park, Ranau Distr., old Kinabalu trail, Sabah, 1800 m (SAN, L)
- Nooteboom 991, G. Alab, Sabah, 1500 m (SAN)
- Wong Kinabalu 93-51, Kinabalu National Park, near Timpohon, Sabah, 1350 m (SAN).
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