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Phyllagathis oligotricha

Interesting Facts

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Description

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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]

Genus Phyllagathis

Herbs, shrublets , or shrubs , erect or stoloniferous . Stems usually 4-sided. Leaves petiolate ; leaf blade secondary veins 2-4 on each side of midvein , tertiary veins parallel, margin entire or denticulate . Inflorescences terminal , subterminal , or axillary , umbellate , cymose umbellate, cymose paniculate, or rarely capitate, usually long pedunculate ; bracts caducous . Flowers (3 or) 4-merous. Pedicel bracteolate . Hypanthium funnel-shaped or subcampanulate, (3 or) 4-sided, longitudinal (6 or) 8-ribbed. Calyx lobes (3 or) 4. Petals ovate , obovate , or broadly ovate, usually oblique . Stamen whorls equal in shape and length or only slightly unequal in length; anthers subulate to oblong-linear, base tuberculate , expanded, or not appendaged; connective decurrent, forming a short spur. Ovary inferior, urceolate , rarely cup-shaped, (3 or) 4-celled. Style filiform ; stigma acute. Capsule cup-shaped or globose-urceolate; hypanthium 8-ribbed. Seeds small, cuneate, angulate , densely tuberculate or not.

About 56 species: China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand; 24 species (19 endemic) in China.

Although the genus has recently been revised (Hansen, Bull . Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat., B , Adansonia 14: 355-428. 1993 ["1992"]), the Chinese species are poorly collected and understood.[2]

Physical Description

Species Phyllagathis oligotricha

Shrublets 10-20 cm tall, stoloniferous , branched or not. Stems terete , densely lenticellate ; branchlets nearly 4-sided, puberulous , with sparse glandular trichomes , or glabrous . Petiole 0.6-2 cm, puberulous, both sides barbate setose or glabrous; leaf blade broadly ovate to broadly elliptic , sometimes lanceolate-ovate basally on stem, (4.5-) 5-11(-14) × (2.5-) 4-8(-9) cm, stiffly papery to subleathery, abaxially sparsely setose but glabrescent , adaxially puberulous and sparsely setose but later puberulous then glabrescent, secondary veins 2 on each side of midvein , base obtuse to rounded , margin entire or inconspicuously denticulate with each tooth having a terminal seta, apex acute to obtuse. Inflorescences terminal and axillary , cymose or contracted to subumbellate, (2.5-) 3.5-6 cm, densely puberulous or glabrous. Pedicel ca. 6 mm, puberulous. Hypanthium funnel-shaped, 2-3 mm, 4-sided, with sparse glandular trichomes or glabrous. Calyx lobes broadly triangular, apex acute. Petals purple or pink, oblong to elliptic-oblong, 6-7 × ca. 4.5 mm, slightly oblique , apex acute. Stamens subequal ; connective decurrent, forming a short adaxial spur, abaxially not tuberculate . Longer stamens 0.8-1.2 cm. Shorter stamens 0.6-1 cm. Ovary subglobose, 4-lobed, apex truncate . Capsule cup-shaped, 4-sided, apex truncate; hypanthium 4-6 × ca. 4.5 mm, exceeding capsule, sparsely setose. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Aug-Nov. [source]

Flowers: Bloom Period: May, June.

Habitat

Sparse to dense forests , valleys, hillsides, shaded moist places, stream banks, rock crevices, trailsides; 500-2300 m. [3].

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Phyllagathis anisophylla Diels • Phyllagathis nudipes C. Chen.

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Phyllagathis

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 1 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

P. rotundifolia (Tapak Sulaiman)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. 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]
  2. Jie Chen & Susanne S. Renner "Phyllagathis". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 361, 377, 388. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  3. "Phyllagathis oligotricha". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 378, 381. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
Last Revised: 7/19/2012