Description
Family Melastomataceae
Herbs, shrubs
, or trees
(to 20 m
tall), erect
, climbing
, or rarely epiphytic. Stipules lacking. Leaves simple
, commonly opposite and decussate with one of a pair slightly smaller than other, rarely verticillate
or alternate by abortion
of one of a pair, usually 1-4(or 5) secondary veins on each side of midvein
, originating at or near base
and anastomosing apically, tertiary veins numerous, parallel, and connecting secondary veins and midvein but in Memecylon secondary veins pinnate and tertiary veins reticulate
. Inflorescences cymose
, umbellate
, corymbose
, in paniculate
clusters
, or a cincinnus, rarely flowers single, fascicled, or born on a spike; bracts sometimes conspicuous
and persistent
. Flowers bisexual
, actinomorphic
but androecium often slightly zygomorphic, usually (3 or) 4- or 5(or 6) -merous, perianth biseriate
, perigynous; bracteoles opposite, usually caducous
. Hypanthium funnel-shaped, campanulate
, cyathiform
, or urceolate
. Calyx lobes
(3-) 5(or 6), valvate
(rarely connate
, but not in Chinese species) . Petals (3-) 5(or 6), equal to number of sepals, distinct
, imbricate. Stamens usually twice as many as petals and in 2 whorls, rarely as many as petals by loss of 1 whorl, isomorphic
or dimorphic
; filaments
distinct, often geniculate
, inflexed
in bud; anthers
typically 2-celled, introrse
, basifixed
, dehiscent
by 1 or 2 apical pores
or by short longitudinal
slits (Astronia, Memecylon) ; connective
often variously appendaged. Pistil and style 1; stigma minute, capitate or truncate
. Ovary commonly inferior or semi-inferior, locules usually (3 or) 4 or 5(or 6) with numerous
anatropous ovules
, rarely 1-loculed and ovules ca.
9 (Memecylon) ; placentation axillary
, parietal
(Astronia and, outside China, Pternandra Jack
), or free
central (Memecylon) . Fruit a dry or fleshy
capsule or a berry, loculicidally dehiscent or indehiscent. Seeds (when 3-6-loculed) usually small, curved
through half a circle (cochleate) or wedge-shaped (cuneate), in Memecylon seeds large and ovoid
; endosperm absent.
Between 156 and 166 genera (150-160 in Melastomataceae sensu stricto
and six in Memecylaceae here considered part of Melastomataceae) and ca. 4500 species (ca. 4050 in Melastomataceae sensu stricto and 450 in Memecylaceae [Olisbeoideae if considered a subfamily
of Melastomataceae]) : primarily in tropical
and subtropical
regions; 21 genera (five endemic) and 114 species (72 endemic) in China.
Chinese genera of economic value include Osbeckia (medicine) and Melastoma (wild fruit and ornamental
flowers) .[1]
Taxonomy
- Domain:
Eukaryota
(
)
- Whittaker & Margulis,1978
- eukaryotes
- Kingdom:
Plantae
()
- Haeckel, 1866
- Plants
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
()
- Cavalier-Smith, 1981
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
()
- Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998
- Vascular Plants
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
()
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
()
- Kenrick & Crane, 1997
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
()
- Brongniart, 1843
- Dicotyledons
- Subclass:
Rosidae
()
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Superorder:
Myrtanae
()
- Takhtajan, 1967
- Order:
Myrtales
()
- Reichenbach, 1828
- Suborder:
Lythrineae
()
- Family:
Melastomataceae
()
- A.l. De Jussieu, 1789, Nom. Cons.
- Melastome Family
- Genus:
Brachyotum
()
- Specific epithet:
intermedium
- Wurdack
- Botanical name: - Brachyotum intermedium Wurdack
- Specific epithet:
intermedium
- Wurdack
- Genus:
Brachyotum
(
- Family:
Melastomataceae
(
- Suborder:
Lythrineae
(
- Order:
Myrtales
(
- Superorder:
Myrtanae
(
- Subclass:
Rosidae
(
- Class:
Magnoliopsida
(
- Infraphylum:
Radiatopses
(
- Subphylum:
Euphyllophytina
(
- Phylum:
Tracheophyta
(
- Subkingdom:
Viridaeplantae
(
- Kingdom:
Plantae
(
Similar Species
Members of the genus Brachyotum
ZipcodeZoo has pages for 63 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:
B. alpinum · B. andreanum · B. angustifolium · B. azuayense · B. barbeyanum · B. barbiferum · B. benthamianum · B. callosum · B. campanulare · B. campii · B. campylanthum · B. canescens · B. cernuum · B. cogniauxii · B. confertum · B. coronatum · B. cutervoanum · B. ecuadorense · B. fictum · B. figueroae · B. floribundum · B. fraternum · B. gleasonii · B. gracilescens · B. grisebachii · B. harlingii · B. incrassatum · B. intermedium · B. jamesonii · B. johannes-julii · B. ledifolium · B. lindenii · B. longisepalum · B. lutescens · B. lycopodioides · B. lymphatum · B. maximowiczii · B. microdon · B. microphyllum · B. minimum · B. multinervium · B. multituberculatum · B. naudini · B. naudinii · B. nutans · B. pedicellatum · B. quinquenerve · B. racemosum · B. radula · B. riveti · B. rosmarinifolium · B. rostratum · B. rotundifolium · B. rugosum · B. russatum · B. sanguinolentum · B. seorsum · B. sertulatum · B. setosum · B. strigosum · B. trianaei · B. trichocalyx · B. tyrianthinum
More Info
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Further Reading
- Chen Cheih. 1984. Melastomataceae. In: Chen Cheih, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 53(1): 135-293.
Notes
Identifiers
- Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 9030149
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15610829
- Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:566860-1
- International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 35934-2
- Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 3541113
Footnotes
- Jie Chen & Susanne S. Renner "Melastomataceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 360. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
