A Review of the Genus Triolena (Melastomataceae: Bertolonieae) in Costa Rica

Abstract

Triolena, a genus of approximately 20 to 25 species, is largely confined to wet forest habitats from southern Mexico southward to the lower Andean slopes and upper Amazon drainage of Bolivia. In Costa Rica, whereT. hirsuta has been the only species recorded for decades, recent exploration has brought to light collections of two additional species.Triolena pumila, a new species, is described and illustrated and a northern range extension is reported forT. spicata, a species formerly known from Panama and Colombia. All three species are treated in the context of a regional summary with a key, distribution map, descriptions, brief discussions, and citation of representative specimens.