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A revision of the florbella group of Miconia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae) with description of three new species

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Abstract

The florbella group of Miconia is composed of four species from the central Andes that are characterized by hollow stems inhabited by ants, and pleiostemonous flowers with a calyptrate calyx. The four species are M. inusitata, and the newly described here M. cava, M. florbella, and M. valenzuelana. The combination of pleistemonous flowers and calyptrate calyces suggests that these species could be placed in the former Conostegia, but at least three of the four species discussed here (M. florbella, M. inusitata and M. valenzuelana) do not belong in that clade and are more closely related to other species of Andean Miconia. All four species grow in undisturbed areas in low- to middle-elevation forests in the Andes.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the assistance in the field of the entire staff at HOXA and USM, but especially for the help of Rocío Rojas and Rodolfo Vásquez (HOXA) and Asunción Cano (USM). César Rojas provided invaluable assistance driving us around the entire province of Oxapampa. Lizeth Cárdenas, Maria Gavrutenko, Diego Paredes, and Sebastián Riva also assisted at different points in the field and with discussions on Melastomataceae from central Peru. Asunción Cano, Diego Paredes, and Sebastián Riva helped with permits and logistics in Lima, Peru. Diana Fernández provided photographs of specimens at QCNE in Quito, Ecuador. We are also thankful to the curators of the following herbaria for access to their collections and/or loans: BM, F, HOXA, K, MO, MOL, NA, NY, P, US, USM. Special thanks to Carmen Ulloa, James Solomon, Jon Ricketson, and Mary Merello at MO for unearthing several important specimens, and Harlan Svoboda at NA for photographs of specimens held there. Robin Foster graciously provided photographs for Miconia inusitata and M. florbella. Günter Gerlach kindly provided photographs for M. valenzuelana. Distribution maps were made by Elizabeth Gjieli at the NYBG GIS lab. Line drawings were masterfully done by Bobbi Angell. We also thank Rodrigo Feitosa (Universidade Federal do Paraná) for determining some of the ants reported here. Carmen Ulloa and Frank Almeda provided valuable reviews of an earlier version of this manuscript; we are truly grateful for their reviews, but any mistakes remain our own. Field research in Peru was carried out under authorization RJ-003-2016-SERNANP-PNYCh. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (DEB-0818399 and DBI-1828479). We thank CAPES and PRINT/UFPR (#88881.311854/2018-01) for a visiting professor grant for FAM. This research was also generously supported by Jayne and Leonard Abess.

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  1. Institute of Systematic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, 10458-5126, USA

    Fabián A. Michelangeli

  2. Universidade Federal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 19031, CEP 81531-970, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Renato Goldenberg

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Correspondence to Fabián A. Michelangeli.

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Michelangeli, F.A., Goldenberg, R. A revision of the florbella group of Miconia (Melastomataceae, Miconieae) with description of three new species. Brittonia 73, 85–105 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12228-020-09633-w

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