What is the scientific name of the plant Miconia?

Miconia. Miconia is a genus of flowering plants in the glory bush family, Melastomataceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas. The species are mostly shrubs and small to medium-sized trees up to 15 m tall. The generic name honours Catalan physician and botanist Francesc Micó.

What does a miconia tree look like?

Miconia is a fast growing weedy tree that reaches 13-50′ in height. It has large leaves that average 3′ long and 1′ wide, and are dark green and felty above, with a distinctive “leaf within a leaf” vein pattern. The underside of the leaves are purple.

What animals eat Miconia?

Miconia fruit are a favorite food of many birds (invasive M. calvescens spreads by this route). The leaves of some species are eaten by caterpillars of the moth-butterflies ( Hedylidae ). As of 2020, genus Miconia comprised over 1200 species with new species occasionally being discovered, among them are:

Where can I find Miconia in Hawaii?

Kauaʻi: There are three known populations, in Wailua River State Park, Wailua Homesteads, and the Wailua Game Management Area. Oʻahu: Originally introduced and traded amongst botanical gardens in the early 1960’s, miconia has since spread into several locations in the Koʻolau range.

What does Miconia look like?

Miconia calvescens has very large leaves (often 17-40 cm long and 7-25 cm wide and sometimes larger) that are borne on stalks (i.e. petioles) 2-6 cm long. The undersides of its leaves are bright purple in colour and mostly hairless (i.e. glabrous).

Where can I find Miconia in Australia?

Miconia (Miconia calvescens) is not yet widely naturalised in Australia. It has been recorded at a few locations in coastal far northern Queensland (i.e. at Cairns, Mossman and Kuranda). Also naturalised in tropical Asia (e.g. Sri Lanka), Melanesia, French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Hawaii.