We supposed that the photographed plant is a Clidemia species (Melastomataceae) but the experts say that it is Urticaceae. We would appreciate your opinion.
The photographs were taken in the Andes: SW Quito, Ecuador, at elevation 1700 to 3000 m, and in Baños, Ecuador, elevation 1800 m.
Dear Jonas and Aravind Singh, you are wrong. The plant is not Clidemia species. It is not even Melastomataceae.
This is some Urticaceae plant, something like Pilea melastomoides. Please check
I am attaching herewith a photo of Clidemia hirta
Dear Jonas Sir,
Please check the following link and pdf attachment for identification of Pilea sp.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4225075/
Regards,
Dr. Arvind Singh
Dear Arvind Sir,
Thank you so much. Your time and help is greatly appreciated.
I like the link a lot, thank you!
Also I expect an answer from my former British colleague Dr Alex Monro who is a leading expert on the Neotropical Urticaceae and author of the Neotropical Urticaceae (a key to Urticaceae genera at http://www.kew.org/science/tropamerica/neotropikey/families/Urticaceae.htm
These plants (including Phenax, Boehmeria) are really amazing. And they are new host-plants for many undesribed leaf-mining insects, like Nepticulidae, Tischeriidae, etc. I start to like these Urticaceae plants. And much appreciate your consultations.
Jonas
Dear Jonas,
Because of the opposite leaves it should be some species of Pilea - not P. melastomoides from Asia, of course. Almost every year new species are described in this genus, both from Asia and from Latin America. This will really need a specialist.
Regards
Franz Starlinger
The rather short and compact inflorescence don't fit for Pilea melastomoides.
Dear Franz,
I see. Appreciated your message/answer. I is so nice to hear from you again. I agree with your opinion.
Kind regards,
Jonas
Dear Jonas, dear all,
I am no specialist on Urticaceae in general, but a simple macro of the flower would be perfectly sufficient for making sure whether it´s Urticaceae or Melastomataceae. At least these are the only two likely candidates. As far as I can see at this stage, it could be either - certainly an acceptable match for some Pilea, although I could not identify a good candidate for a species at the moment. I am not sure it can´t be a Clidemia though. Any chance of a better resolution picture of the inflorescence? That would be soooo helpful. In general - if you need an ID later on a good close-up of flower and fruit is really, really helpful.
Best
Max
Dear Maximilian,
many thanks for your opinion! Yes, agree, we certainly need better photos of the inflorescence.
However, am almost sure that there is a good match of our species with the recently described species of Pilea from Venezuela (attached) and that the inflorescence of our plant differs from Clidemia, Melastomataceae.
Thank you a lot for your kind response!
Regards,
Jonas
Dear Jonas,
as far as I can see, your plant cannot be any of the four newly described species from Venezuela. All these are strongly anisophyllous species, whereas in your plant both leaves at the same node are almost alike, especially concerning lenght of the petiole.
Dear Maximilian,
You get a better resolution of the photo with right click and "open in new window". The resolution of the inflorescences/infrutescences is good enough to be sure about Urticaceae, in my opinion. Moreover, stipules are clearly visible in some of the photos, which would be extremly unusual in Melastomataceae. So, as far as I see, Clidemia is not possible.
Regards
Franz Starlinger
Hi all
I´ve checked the pictures with brazilian botanists, could be
Pilea myriantha Killip (Urticaceae Juss.)
Lin
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