3-579: Around 1,900, see List of Miconia species 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
6-440: 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 2023, genus Miconia comprises nearly 1,900 species, with new species occasionally being discovered. Among them are: List of Miconia species Miconia is a large genus of tropical and subtropical New World flowering shrubs and trees in
9-500: 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
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