Miconia crenata (Vahl) Michelang.

Growth Form

Miconia crenata (Vahl) Michelang. is a densely branching perennial shrub. It normally grows 0.5–3 meters tall, but may reach 5 meters tall depending on its habitat.

Branchlet Characteristics

Its branchlets are covered in large, stiff brown or reddish hairs.

Leaf Structure

It has simple, oppositely arranged oval leaves with broad bases, pointed tips, and margins that range from nearly smooth to crenate or finely toothed. Leaves are sparsely hairy on the upper surface and more densely hairy on the lower surface, and have five distinct veins that run almost parallel from the leaf base to the tip.

Inflorescence

Flowers grow in small clusters at the tips of branches.

Flower Morphology

Each flower has five petals that are usually white, or occasionally pale pinkish, plus five distinctive claw-shaped stamens. The base of the flower is swollen into a cup-shaped structure, covered from moderately to sparsely with a mix of bristly and sticky hairs.

Fruit Characteristics

The small, rounded fruits are berries that range in color from dark blue or purplish to blackish. Each berry contains more than 100 light brown seeds.

Native Range

This species is native to tropical regions of the Americas, ranging from Mexico to Paraguay and including the Caribbean.

Habitat Preferences

It grows in dry to wet tropical climates at elevations up to 1200 meters.