Melastoma affine
Encyclopedia
Melastoma affine, also known by the common names Blue Tongue or Native Lassiandra ,Nekkarika in Kannada, is a shrub of the Melastomataceae
family. Distributed in tropical and sub-tropical forests of India
, South-east Asia and Australia
, it is a plant of rainforest margins. Bees are the principal pollinators of this species.
in 1823. The taxonomy of the melastoma group is tricky with Meyer proposing to revise this species into M. malabathricum subsp. malabathricum in Blumea 46(2): 351–398 (2001). However, this has not been fully accepted (Australian Plant Census - Melastomataceae).
and measure 6 to 12 cm (2.4-4.8 in) in length, and 2–4 cm (0.8-1.6 in) wide. Covered in fine hair they have longitudinal veins. Appearing in spring and summer, the flowers occur on the ends of branchlets and are purple with five petals and sepals. There are two sets of distinctive stamens, five opposite the petals and five opposite the sepals. The antisepalous ones in particular have very large long anthers with a bilobed appendage at their base. The purple fruits are edible and stain the mouth blue, thus the common name.
M. affine is important as being a pioneer species
that colonises disturbed wet-sclerophyll
and rain forest habitats in the Australasian region. It produces no nectar - giving pollinators large amounts of pollen instead, which must be extracted through pores
on the anthers. Melastoma affine is pollinated by bees, particularly Xylocopa bombylans
, X. aff. gressittii , Amegilla anomola and Nomia
species. Honeybees outcompete native bees for pollen at flowers, impacting on the species' reproduction.
M. affine is a known hyperaccumulator of Aluminium
, and as such can be used for phytoremediation
.
Melastomataceae
right|thumb|200px|Characteristic venation of many melastomesThe family Melastomataceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants found mostly in the tropics comprising some 200 genera and 4500 species...
family. Distributed in tropical and sub-tropical forests of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, South-east Asia and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, it is a plant of rainforest margins. Bees are the principal pollinators of this species.
Taxonomy
Melastoma affine was first described by Scottish botanist David DonDavid Don
David Don was a Scottish botanist,David Don was born on December 21, 1799, at Doo Hillock, Forfar, Angus, Scotland. He was the younger brother of George Don, also a botanist, their father being George Don of Forfar and his wife Caroline Clementina Stuart...
in 1823. The taxonomy of the melastoma group is tricky with Meyer proposing to revise this species into M. malabathricum subsp. malabathricum in Blumea 46(2): 351–398 (2001). However, this has not been fully accepted (Australian Plant Census - Melastomataceae).
Description
It is found as a shrub to 2 m (7 ft) in height. The leaves are ovateLeaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
and measure 6 to 12 cm (2.4-4.8 in) in length, and 2–4 cm (0.8-1.6 in) wide. Covered in fine hair they have longitudinal veins. Appearing in spring and summer, the flowers occur on the ends of branchlets and are purple with five petals and sepals. There are two sets of distinctive stamens, five opposite the petals and five opposite the sepals. The antisepalous ones in particular have very large long anthers with a bilobed appendage at their base. The purple fruits are edible and stain the mouth blue, thus the common name.
Distribution and habitat
Melastoma affine is found from India through southeast Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia and into Australia. Within Australia, it is found from the Kimberleys in Western Australia, across the Northern Territory and Queensland, and reaches as far south as Kempsey on the New South Wales mid north coast. It grows in wet areas in sclerophyll forest.M. affine is important as being a pioneer species
Pioneer species
Pioneer species are species which colonize previously uncolonized land, usually leading to ecological succession. They are the first organisms to start the chain of events leading to a livable biosphere or ecosystem...
that colonises disturbed wet-sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
and rain forest habitats in the Australasian region. It produces no nectar - giving pollinators large amounts of pollen instead, which must be extracted through pores
Buzz pollination
Sonication or buzz pollination is a technique used by some bees to release pollen which is more or less firmly held by the anthers, which makes pollination more efficient. The anther of buzz-pollinated species of plants is typically tubular, with an opening at only one end, and the pollen is inside...
on the anthers. Melastoma affine is pollinated by bees, particularly Xylocopa bombylans
Xylocopa bombylans
The peacock carpenter bee, Xylocopa bombylans, is a species of carpenter bee found in Australia. It gets its common name by its habit of burrowing into wood....
, X. aff. gressittii , Amegilla anomola and Nomia
Nomia (genus)
In biology, Nomia is a cosmopolitan genus of sweat bees within the family Halictidae. Many species have opalescent bands on the metasoma.-External links:***...
species. Honeybees outcompete native bees for pollen at flowers, impacting on the species' reproduction.
M. affine is a known hyperaccumulator of Aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
, and as such can be used for phytoremediation
Phytoremediation
Phytoremediation Phytoremediation Phytoremediation (from the Ancient Greek , and Latin (restoring balance or remediation) describes the treatment of environmental problems (bioremediation) through the use of plants that mitigate the environmental problem without the need to excavate the...
.