Melastoma toppingii Merr.
Table of contents
1. Protologue
Melastoma toppingii Merr., Philipp. Gov. Lab. Bur. Bull. 17 (1904): 38. - Type: Le Roy Topping 17, Philippines, Luzon, Province of Benguet, Baguio, Jan 1903. (PNH?, not seen).
A shrub with narrowly ovate, acute, 5-nerved leaves, angular ultimate branchlets, which are densely clothed with long brownish or reddish hairs, and lanceolate-acuminate calyx lobes shorter than the calyx tube.
Branches brownish, the clothing hairs of the ultimate branchlets minutely scabrid, 2 to 4 mm long, more or less spreading and curved upward. Leaves 5 to 8 cm long, 2 to 3.5 cm wide, the base slightly rounded, the upper surface rather densely clothed with short, stiff, subappressed hairs, beneath rather densely strigose-pubescent, the hairs on the nerves beneath longer and more appressed; petioles densely clothed with long hairs, 5 to 8 mm long. Flowers purplish, fasciculate, usually in threes. Calyx tube 1 cm long, densely clothed with more or less appressed stout hairs 1 to 3 mm long, which are arranged in fascicles, the calyx lobes lanceolate-acuminate, 7 mm long, 2 mm wide, near the base densely ciliate with long hairs, the alternating teeth slender, 2 mm long, ciliate, and with a tuft of long penicillate hairs at the apex. Petals obovate, 2 to 2.3 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, the margin ciliate. Larger stamens 2 cm long, the anther 9 mm long, the connective scarcely elongated, 1.5 mm or less in lenght.
Type specimen No. 17, D. LeRoy Topping, Baguio, Province of Benguet, Luzon, January, 1903.
2. Synonyms
No synonyms known!
3. Vernacular names
No vernacular names known!
4. Description
Shrub; young branches quadrangular, covered with spreading or flexuose brown bristles, bark brown; old branches terete. Leaves lanceolate or ovate, 3.7--9.1 x 1.4--3.1 cm, base rounded, apex acute; lamina strigose to subvillous above, subvillous underneath; margin entire or minutely crenate; nerves 5 or 7, densely covered with semi-erect bristles; petiole 4--7 mm long. Inflorescence a terminal cyme of 2--3 flowers and solitary flowers in the topmost leaf axils. Flowers 5-merous; bracts lanceolate, 4--6 x 2 mm, covered with red or golden bristles. Hypanthium campanulate, 6--8 x 5--6 mm, covered with erect, red, penicillate emergences, 1 mm long, crowned by 1--2 mm long, straw-coloured bristles; lobes deciduous, triangular, 5--7 x 1 mm, inside glabrous, on the outside and the margin covered with 1--2 mm long bristles; intersepalar emergences stellate, their stalk 1--2 mm long, crowned by 1--2 mm long bristles. Petals obovate to cuneate, 18--20 x 15--19 mm, ciliate at the apex, purple. Stamens dimorphic; longer outer stamens with 6--7 mm long anthers, straight or slightly s-shaped, and 6--7 mm long filaments, connective prolonged for c. 1 mm, ventrally bilobed at the base, lobes c. 0.5 mm long; shorter stamens with c. 6 mm long, straight anthers and c. 6 mm long filaments, connective prolonged for c. 0.5 mm, ventrally bilobed at the base, lobes c. 0.5 mm long. Ovary as long as hypanthium, crowned by golden bristles. Style 17 mm long. Fruit a campanulate, fleshy capsule, 7--9 x 6--8 mm.
5. Distribution, ecology and notes
Distribution - Philippines: Luzon.
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Ecology - Collections: 6.
Notes - No ecological information of this species is given on any of the herbarium labels
6. Collections
PHILIPPINES
- Loher 3550, Montalban, Rizal (K)
- Loher 3566, Macalaring, Montalban, Rizal (K)
- Ramos BS 45029, Baguio, Benguet (SING, P)
- Vanoverbergh 595, Bontoc subprov., Bontoc (C, L, MO)
- Vanoverbergh 2749, Mountain Province (P)
- Vidal 342, Mt. Anjat, Bulacan (K).
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