Marcetia taxifolia grows alongside the trail to Roraima tepui and looks like it belongs to the heather family.
Native range is Colombia to Guyana and Brazil.
Last updated on 8 November 2024
Marcetia taxifolia grows alongside the trail to Roraima tepui and looks like it belongs to the heather family.
Native range is Colombia to Guyana and Brazil.
Last updated on 8 November 2024
Melastomataceae
Isn’t this an Ericacea?
it seems to be something near Microlicia, but only can say 100% sure with vouchers.
I think it’s Marcetia taxifolia (Melastomataceae).
Here is some information about this plant found on the net:
Distribution: A species from northern South America, it occurs in two distinct areas. The first is located in the Andean foothills of northeastern Venezuela and the Guiana highlands, the second in Cerrad, in central Spain, and off the east coast of Brazil.
Ecology: Grows in savannah, bushes, rocky, sandy habitats, rises to an altitude of about 3000 m.
Diagnosis: Shrub 100–300 cm tall, richly branched, with glandular pubescent twigs. The leaves are axillary, sessile, lanceolate, 4-9 mm long and 2-6 mm broad, rounded at the base or even slightly cordate, clearly curled at the edge, pointed at the apex, hairy. The flowers are axillary, solitary, quadruple, the calyx has glandular hairs, the tips of the calyx lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate; the leaves of the crown elliptic to narrowly oval, up to 8 mm long, pink or whitish; sticks is 8. The fruit is a capsule.
Many thanks for your detailed input Christophe. It does indeed look like it.