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| Miconia kellyana Almeda & R.B. Pacifico, in Almeda & Pacifico, 2023. |
Abstract
Miconia kellyana is described as a new species that is known only from a limited area of montane tropical forest in Cusuco National Park in northwestern Honduras. Line drawings, field photographs, a distribution map, a recommended conservation assessment, and a discussion of morphologically similar species are provided. This species can be recognized by its 5-plinerved leaves with secondary veins diverging from the midvein above the blade base, cauline internode indumentum consisting of simple spreading trichomes, stalked-stellate trichomes, and apically bifid trichomes 0.5–1 mm long, conspicuous external calyx teeth that exceed the calyx lobes in length and largely conceal them, hypanthia with yellowish mostly simple trichomes sparingly intermixed with apically bifid and stalked-stellate trichomes 1–1.5 mm long that completely conceal the surface at anthesis, and isometric and isomorphic stamens with a connective that is prolonged ventro-basally above the filament insertion into a bilobulate ventral appendage less than 0.25 mm long. The new species is compared with M. chinantlana, M. globulifera, and M. tixixensis. All of these related species occur only in adjacent areas of neighboring Guatemala and/or a few southern states of Mexico.
Keywords: Miconieae, endemic, montane rainforest, neotropics, Sierra del Merendón, Eudicots
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| Miconia kellyana field photos. A. An individual of M. kellyana (white arrow) in a forest understory at Cusuco National Park, Honduras. B. Flowering branches. C. Close-up of two flowers in post-anthesis. All photos by Michael Darling. |
Miconia kellyana Almeda & R.B. Pacifico, sp. nov.
Etymology:— The specific epithet honors Dr. Daniel L. Kelly (b. 1948), collector of the type, in recognition of hisimportant studies of forest biodiversity, structure, and dynamics, and epiphytic plant communities at Cusuco NationalPark and elsewhere in the American tropics (chiefly Jamaica, and Venezuela).
According to Cordula Lennkh, a local name for Miconia kellyana is “Sirín tamoso” (= downy melastome or fluffymelastome) probably alluding to the overall indumentum of vegetative and floral parts.
Frank Almeda and Ricardo Pacifico. 2023. A New Miconia (Melastomataceae) from Cusuco National Park, Honduras. Phytotaxa. 578(2); 199-206. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.578.2.6
