A New Miconia (Melastomataceae) from Bolivia, with Remarks on Angular-Branched Species in the Andes

Abstract

A new species of Melastomataceae from Bolivia is described, illustrated, and placed in a phenetic context within Miconia, a genus of 1000 species and about 2000 published names.Miconia quadrialata is readily distinguished from its con¬ geners by two-colored leaves and sharply four-an¬ gular and winged branchlets.A search for quadrangular-branched miconias revealed that 12 of 15 such species (in four sections), including the new species, occur in cloud forest in the Andes, raising the question of the adaptive significance of qua¬ drangular branchlets.