Tibouchina aspera


Tibouchina aspera is a species of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to Central America and tropical South America. It was first described by Jean [Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet|Jean Fusée Aublet] in 1775. In the original description of the species, it was suggested that the plant was inhaled to treat chest pain and dry coughs.

Description

Tibouchina aspera is a subshrub with densely scaly indumentum on the stem, petiole, calyces and hypanthium.

Taxonomy

Tibouchina aspera was first described in 1775 and is the type species of the genus Tibouchina. The description was based on a specimen from French Guiana which is currently kept in the herbarium at the Natural [History Museum, London|Natural History Museum] in London.

Varieties

There are three described varieties:
  • T. aspera var. aspera
  • T. aspera var. asperrima Cogn.
  • T. aspera var. poeppigii Cogn.

Distribution and habitat

Tibouchina aspera is widely distributed in Central and South America, including in Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and in the Brazilian states of Amapá, Roraima, Amazonas, Pará, Acre, Rondônia, Maranháo, and Mato Grosso. It is commonly found in the cerrado, campinas and restingas in humid, sandy soil. In a study of the Melastomataceae of the Brazilian restingas in Pará, T. aspera was found in herbaceous marsh, fields between dunes and open shrubby fields.