A New Miconia (Melastomataceae) from Celaque National Park, Honduras

Abstract

Miconia celaquensis, from the montane cloud forests of Celaque National Park, Honduras, is described, illustrated, and compared with Miconia ravenii of Chiapas, Mexico, and Miconia tuerckheimii of southern Mexico and Guatemala. This new species appears to be the only Miconia restricted to Honduras and the second species of Melastomataceae endemic to the country. Unlike other Central American countries with extensive highland areas, Honduras is surprisingly depauperate in endemic species of Melastomataceae. Of the 107 taxa of melastomes presently known from Honduras, only Henriettella hondurensis Wurdack previously has been thought to be endemic to the country. Of the 42 species of Miconia occurring in Honduras, Miconia celaquensis, the species described here, is the sole member of its genus and the only other melastome endemic to Honduras. Most Honduran Melastomataceae belong to that widespread element of the neotropical flora that extends from southern Mexico through Central America to tropical Andean South America and Brazil. Fifteen species of Melastomataceae that occur in Honduras are found elsewhere only in Guatemala and southern Mexico; 10 others extend beyond the Honduran border from Nicaragua to South America. The affinities of both endemic Honduran melastomes are with congeners that are restricted to montane areas of Guatemala and adjacent Mexico, a significant secondary center of radiation for the Melastomataceae of the Mesoamerican region. Miconia celaquensis Almeda, sp. nov. TYPE: Honduras. Lempira: Campo Naranjo, 10 km SW of Gracias, Celaque National Park, 14o33'N, 88?40W, elev. 2550 m, 16 May 1992, Thomas & Mejta 329 (holotype, CAS; isotypes, EAP, HEH, MO, TEFH). Figure 1. Ramuli sulcato-quadrangulati sicut petioli inflorescentiaque pilis laevibus sparse induti pilis laevibus glanduliferis sparse intermixtis et sicut foliorum venae primariae subtus hypanthiaque pilis stipitato-stellatis erectis modice armati. Lamina 7-15.3 x 4.3-10.6 cm cordata vel ovata, 5-7-plinervata, supra modice strigosa, pilis simplicibus 1-3 mm longis, subtus pilis laevibus et pilis laevibus glanduliferis et pilis stellulatis vel barbellatis sparsiuscule vel modice puberuli. Panicula 3.5-7.5 cm longa multiflora; flores plerumque 4-meri. Ovarium 4-loculare 2/3 inferum apice in collum circum stylum protracto collo modice glanduloso-setuloso, pilis 0.1 mm longis. Shrub 0.5-2 m tall. The sulcate-quadrangulate uppermost branchlets, petioles, and inflorescences moderately covered with a mixture of simple flexuous hairs (1.5-2 mm long), spreading stipitatestellate hairs (0.25 mm long), glandular hairs (0.5 mm long), and an inconspicuous basement scattering of minute glands. Leaves of a pair subequal to somewhat unequal in size; petioles 3-6.7 cm long; blades membranaceous and brittle when dry, 715.3 x 4.3-10.6 cm, cordate varying to ovate, apex acuminate, base cordate to broadly rounded but sometimes varying to slightly oblique on the larger cordate leaves, margin denticulate to crenulate; 57-plinerved with the innermost pair of primary nerves diverging from median nerve 3-5 mm above the blade base, moderately covered adaxially with appressed or antrorsely spreading smooth hairs (1NovoN 6: 319-322. 1996. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Mon, 20 Jun 2016 06:31:04 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms