Melastoma septemnervium

Short description: Species of tree

Melastoma septemnervium

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Clade:  | Tracheophytes
Clade:  | Angiosperms
Clade:  | Eudicots
Clade:  | Rosids
Order:  | Myrtales
Family:  | Melastomataceae
Genus:  | Melastoma
Species:  |

M. septemnervium

Binomial name
Melastoma septemnervium

Lour.[1]

Synonyms

Melastoma candidum D. Don

Melastoma septemnervium are erect shrubs or small slender trees with 5 petal, medium-sized, pink flowers that have made them attractive for cultivation. The leaves have the 5 distinctive longitudinal veins (nerves) typical of plants in the family Melastomataceae.

## Contents

* 1 Description
* 2 Distribution
* 3 Taxonomy
* 4 References

## Description

Melastoma septemnervium are erect shrubs or small trees up to 5 m tall.[2] Leaves are elliptical with short stiff hairs or scales on the upper surface and finer dense hairs on the lower surface but with a mixture of scales on the nerves.

## Distribution

Native to Vietnam, southern China , the Philippines , Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands, and southern Japan .[2] Cultivated and naturalized in Hawaii but also reported to be abundant and invasive on Kauai and Hawaii Island from sea level up to 900 m elevation.[2]

Melastoma septemnervium grows in light forests, clearings, and grass lands, or on rocky slopes, but prefers mesic to wet areas and bog margin habitats in Hawaii.[2][3]

## Taxonomy

Hawaiian populations of M. septemnervium were historically assigned to Melastoma malabathricum non L. but later were identified as M. candidum D. Don by Wagner et al. 1999 due to a number of consistently different traits, including a higher chromosome number (2n = 56 versus Melastoma malabathricum 2n = 24).[2]

M. septemnervium was first described by Loureiro in 1790 (Flora Cochinchinensis 1: 273–274).[4] M. septemnervium is the accepted name by some sources with M. candidum as a junior synonym,[1] but both names are used widely.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 ITIS - Integrated Taxonomic Information System Report Page Melastoma septemnervium Lour.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Wagner, Warren L.; Herbst, Derral R.; Sohmer, S.H. (1999). Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai`i. Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 910–911. ISBN 0-8248-2166-1.
3. ↑ GISD - Global Invasive Species Database. Melastoma candidum
4. ↑ Tropicos - Missouri Botanical Garden. Name Search > *Melastoma septemnervium Lour.

Wikidata ☰ Q48789503 entry

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