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. Some species are known by the common name johnnyberry.
Many species are threatened by habitat destruction in their native range, and some are feared to be on the brink of extinction. On the other hand, M. calvescens is a contributing factor in the decline and maybe even extinction of other plants: it has become a highly invasive weed on a number of Pacific Islands where it was introduced, including Hawaii and Tahiti. It is often referred to as the "purple plague" or the "green cancer" in reference to its habit of overgrowing native ecosystems, and its leaves which are bright green above and bright purple below.
Miconia fruit are a favorite food of many birds. The leaves of some species are eaten by caterpillars of the moth-butterflies.

Species

As of 2023, genus Miconia comprises nearly 1,900 species, with new species occasionally being discovered. Among them are:Miconia abbreviataMiconia acuminataMiconia acutifoliaMiconia aequatorialisMiconia albicans Miconia aligeraMiconia alpinaMiconia altissima Miconia argyrea Miconia ascendensMiconia asplundiiMiconia aspratilisMiconia augustiiMiconia ayacuchensisMiconia baillonianaMiconia barbipilisMiconia barclayanaMiconia beneolensMiconia benoistiiMiconia bicolorMiconia bipatrialisMiconia bolivarensisMiconia bracteolata Miconia brasiliensis Miconia brevistylisMiconia brevithecaMiconia brunnea Miconia budlejoides Miconia caelataMiconia caesariataMiconia cabucuMiconia cajanumanaMiconia calignosaMiconia calophyllaMiconia calvescens Miconia campiiMiconia candolleana Miconia capitellataMiconia castillensisMiconia castrensisMiconia cavaMiconia centrospermaMiconia ceramicarpa Miconia cercophoraMiconia chamissois Miconia chartaceaMiconia ciliataMiconia cinerascens Miconia cinnamomifolia Miconia collayensisMiconia conformisMiconia corazonicaMiconia cosangensisMiconia crebribullataMiconia crenataMiconia cupreaMiconia cutucuensisMiconia dapsilifloraMiconia demissifoliaMiconia depauperata Miconia dichroa Miconia dielsiiMiconia dissimulansMiconia divaricata Miconia dodsoniiMiconia dorianaMiconia elegantissimaMiconia espinosaeMiconia explicitaMiconia fallax Miconia fasciculata Miconia floccosaMiconia florbellaMiconia formosaMiconia fosbergiiMiconia fuliginosaMiconia gibbaMiconia gigantophyllaMiconia gilvaMiconia glandulistylaMiconia glazioviana Miconia glyptophyllaMiconia goniocladaMiconia grayanaMiconia griffisiiMiconia guayaquilensisMiconia hexameraMiconia hirsutivenaMiconia holosericea Miconia huigrensisMiconia hylophilaMiconia idiogenaMiconia imitansMiconia inanisMiconia innataMiconia jorgenseniiMiconia jucundaMiconia laceraMiconia lachnocladaMiconia langsdorffii Miconia latecrenata Miconia laxaMiconia leandroidesMiconia ledifoliaMiconia ligustroides Miconia littleiMiconia longicuspis Miconia longidentataMiconia longisetosaMiconia lugonisMiconia macbrydeanaMiconia macrothyrsa Miconia mediocrisMiconia medusaMiconia minutiflora Miconia molestaMiconia namandensisMiconia nasellaMiconia nervosaMiconia nubicolaMiconia ochroleucaMiconia octopetalaMiconia oellgaardiiMiconia oliganthaMiconia ombrophilaMiconia onaensisMiconia organensis Miconia ovalifolia Miconia pailasanaMiconia paniculata Miconia papillosaMiconia pastazanaMiconia paulensis Miconia pausanaMiconia penduliflora Miconia penningtoniiMiconia pepericarpa Miconia perelegansMiconia pernettifoliaMiconia phaeochaetaMiconia pilaloensisMiconia pisinnifloraMiconia poecilanthaMiconia pohliana Miconia poortmanniiMiconia prasina Miconia prietoiMiconia proctoriiMiconia prominensMiconia protuberansMiconia pseudo-eichlerii Miconia pseudopedicellataMiconia pseudorigidaMiconia pusilliflora Miconia rabenii Miconia reburrosaMiconia renneriMiconia rheophyticaMiconia rimbachiiMiconia rivetiiMiconia rubiginosa Miconia salicifolia Miconia santaritensisMiconia scabraMiconia scutataMiconia saldanhaeiMiconia secunpastazanaMiconia sellowiana Miconia serrulata Miconia seticaulisMiconia setulosaMiconia silicicolaMiconia sintenisii Miconia sodiroiMiconia sparreiMiconia staminea Miconia stenophyllaMiconia stenostachya Miconia suborbicularisMiconia subseriataMiconia subvernicosa Miconia superbaMiconia tephrodesMiconia theaezansMiconia tococaMiconia tomentosaMiconia tristis Miconia urophylla Miconia valenzuelanaMiconia vescaMiconia villonacensisMiconia willdenowii