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Melastomataceae

{{Short description|Family of flowering plants}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| fossil_range = {{fossil range|Turonian|0|Turonian - recent|ref={{Cite web |title=Myrtales|url=https://mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/orders/myrtalesweb2.htm|access-date=2023-07-20 |website=www.mobot.org}}}}

| image = Tibouchina semidecandra.jpg

| image_caption = Pleroma semidecandrum, syn. Tibouchina semidecandra, at Strybing Arboretum, San Francisco

| taxon = Melastomataceae

| authority = Juss.

| type_genus = Melastoma

| type_genus_authority = L.

| subdivision_ranks = Genera

| subdivision = See text.

}}

File:Melastome leaves.jpg

File:Osbeckia muralis at Kadavoor.jpg in Kerala]]

Melastomataceae ({{IPAc-en|m|ɛ|l|@|s|t|oː|m|ɑː|'|t|eɪ|s|i|ˌ|aɪ|,_|-|s|iː|ˌ|iː}}) is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants found mostly in the tropics (two-thirds of the genera are from the New World tropics) comprising c. 175 genera and c. 5115 known species.{{Citation |last=Ulloa Ulloa |first=Carmen |title=Melastomataceae: Global Diversity, Distribution, and Endemism |date=2022 |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-030-99742-7_1 |work=Systematics, Evolution, and Ecology of Melastomataceae |pages=3–28 |editor-last=Goldenberg |editor-first=Renato |access-date=2023-05-04 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-99742-7_1 |isbn=978-3-030-99741-0 |last2=Almeda |first2=Frank |last3=Goldenberg |first3=Renato |last4=Kadereit |first4=Gudrun |last5=Michelangeli |first5=Fabián A. |last6=Penneys |first6=Darin S. |last7=Stone |first7=R. Douglas |last8=Veranso-Libalah |first8=Marie Claire |editor2-last=Michelangeli |editor2-first=Fabián A. |editor3-last=Almeda |editor3-first=Frank}}{{cite journal |author1=Christenhusz, M. J. M. |author2=Byng, J. W. | year = 2016 | title = The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase | journal = Phytotaxa | volume = 261 | pages = 201–217 | url = http://biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/article/download/phytotaxa.261.3.1/20598 | doi = 10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1 | issue = 3 | publisher = Magnolia Press | doi-access = free }} Melastomes are annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, or small trees.

Description

The leaves of melastomes are somewhat distinctive, being opposite, decussate, and usually with 3-7 longitudinal veins arising either from the base of the blade, plinerved (inner veins diverging above base of blade), or pinnately nerved with three or more pairs of primary veins diverging from the mid-vein at successive points above the base.

Flowers are perfect, and borne either singly or in terminal or axillary, paniculate cymes.

Ecology

A number of melastomes are regarded as invasive species once naturalized in tropical and subtropical environments outside their normal range. Examples are Koster's curse (Clidemia hirta), Pleroma semidecandrum and Miconia calvescens, but many other species are involved.

Taxonomy

Under the APG III system of classification, the seven genera from Memecylaceae are now included in this family.{{Citation |last=Angiosperm Phylogeny Group |year=2009 |title=An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III |journal=Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=161 |issue=2 |pages=105–121 |doi=10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x |doi-access=free |hdl=10654/18083 |hdl-access=free }}

Genera

There are some 167 accepted genera in the Melastomataceae family as of October 2023. They are:{{cite web |title=Melastomataceae Juss. |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30374374-2 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=30 October 2023}}

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Foraging

Melastomataceae is foraged by many stingless bees, especially by the species Melipona bicolor which gather pollen from this taxon of flowering plant.Hilário, S. D., and V. L. Imperatriz-Fonseca. "Pollen foraging in colonies of Melipona bicolor (Apidae, Meliponini): effects of season, colony size and queen number." Genetics and Molecular Research 8.2 (2009): 664-671.{{clarify|reason=what are the pollinators for this family outside the restricted geographical range of Melipona bicolor, for example in India, SE Asia and Australasia?|date=November 2015}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category|Melastomataceae}}

{{Wikispecies}}

  • [http://132.236.163.181/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?family=Melastomataceae PlantSystematics.org: Images of species, list of genera]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
  • {{cite journal|last1=Penneys|first1=D. S.|last2=Michelangeli|first2=F. A.|last3=Judd|first3=W. S.|last4=Almeda|first4=F.|title=Henrietteeae (Melastomataceae): A New Neotropical Berry-Fruited Tribe|journal=Systematic Botany|date=1 January 2010|volume=35|issue=4|pages=783–800|jstor=40985555|doi=10.1600/036364410x539862|s2cid=85228425 }}

{{Angiosperm families}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q648380}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Myrtales families