Revision of the Lima clade (Miconia sect. Lima, Miconieae, Melastomataceae) of the Greater Antilles.

Lucas Majure,Walter Judd,Eldis Bécquer

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.72.9355

Abstract

Miconia sect. Lima is an entirely Greater Antillean clade that consists of 19 known species of shrubs and small trees, which were previously recognized under the polyphyletic genera Leandra and Ossaea. The highest species richness in the clade is represented on Cuba (10 species), followed by Hispaniola (8 species) and then Jamaica (1 species). Here we present a taxonomic revision of the clade based on the study of species in the field, herbarium specimens, as well as a DNA-based phylogeny reconstruction. The Lima clade most likely originated on Cuba and then spread to Jamaica once and Hispaniola multiple times. Species of this clade can be recognized by the well developed bulla-based hairs of the adaxial leaf surface, as well as the clavate-dendritic hairs produced along the primary, secondary and tertiary veins of the adaxial leaf surface, mostly towards the leaf base, terminal inflorescences, acute petal apices, slightly bulla-based hairs produced subapically along the petal abaxial surface, and anthers with a dorso-basal appendage and a single, dorsally oriented pore. Descriptions, synonymies, along with distribution maps and illustrations/figures, are given for each species. Miconia pagnolensis sp. nov. is newly described in this revision.

Highlights

Tribe Miconieae (Melastomataceae) is a widely distributed, species rich, Neotropical clade of trees and shrubs, which is most diverse in montane regions of Central and South America and the West Indies
Miconia jashaferi has often been confused with Miconia ovatifolia (Urb.) Judd, Bécquer & Majure (=Ossaea ovatifolia Urb.) of the Paralima clade (Majure et al 2015), as the adaxial leaf indumentum is somewhat similar, consisting of poorly developed bulla-based hairs (Figs 3, 9A–D)
Miconia asperifolia is resolved as sister to M. granulata in a subclade consisting of Cuban species

Summary

Introduction

Tribe Miconieae (Melastomataceae) is a widely distributed, species rich (ca. 1800 species), Neotropical clade of trees and shrubs, which is most diverse in montane regions of Central and South America and the West Indies. The Lima + Calycopteris + Paralima + Pseudolima + Calycodomatia clade is referred to as the Sandpaper clade, because of the many species of the group that have bulla-based hairs on the upper leaf surface (see Majure et al 2015; Fig. 2). Miconia cubana and M. hybophylla are most likely members of this subclade, as they produce large, open inflorescences (i.e., in M. cubana and M. hybophylla, as in M. asperifolia and M. argentimuricata) They tend to have less well-developed bulla-based hairs on the upper leaf surface, similar to other members of the Acuminata clade. M. asperifolia, M. jashaferi, M. lima, M. norlindii, M. ottoschmidtii, and M. pedunculata are likely cladospecies (sensu Donoghue 1985), as multiple accessions of each of these species form clades in our phylogeny (Majure et al 2015; Fig. 2). We do not have any information regarding ploidy in this group, so we cannot determine whether or not hybridization and subsequent genome duplication may have played a role in the origin and subsequent evolution of any of the species

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