Authority:

Luteyn, James L., et al. 1995. Ericaceae, Part II. The Superior-Ovaried Genera (Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Rhododendroideae, and Vaccinioideae P.P.). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 66: 560. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family:

Ericaceae

Synonyms:

Bejaria phillyriaefolia Benth., Bejaria popayana B.Fedtsch. & Basil., Bejaria corymbosa B.Fedtsch. & Basil., Bejaria mathewsii f. pulcherrima Mansf. & Sleumer

Description:

Species Description - Shrub or tree 1.5-8 m tall; bark fissured, glabrous or tomentose, dark brown; twigs subterete, dark brown, rusty-red, or grayish-orange, usually tomentose and hispid. Leaves coriaceous, flat, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, occasionally narrowly ovate to ovate, (1.9-)2.8-5.8(-7.2) × 0.6-2 cm, base cuneate, rarely obtuse, apex acute to obtuse (acuminate or mucronate), margin entire, both surfaces usually glabrous (tomentose, hispid or glandular-hispid); petiole flattened adaxially, (1.5-)3-7( 10.5) mm long, usually tomentose or glabrous (hispid or glandular-hispid). Inflorescence terminal or usually terminal with axillary racemes, 6-12(-21)-flowered; rachis 2-7.5(- 11) cm long and 0.9-2.9 mm diam., gray, tan, brown, or orange, tomentose (hispid or glandular-hispid); pedicels ascending, 7-28 mm long and 0.6-1.5(-1.7) mm diam., tomentose (hispid or glandular-hispid); bracteoles inserted on basal 1/2 of pedicel, narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate (elliptic to ovate), flat or often slightly involute, 1.3-4.8 × 0.4-1.9 mm, base cuneate or truncate, apex acute to acuminate (obtuse), margin entire, often ciliolate (glandular-ciliate), both surfaces tomentose or glabrous; floral bracts narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate (ovate), revolute, 0.45-27 × 0.9-6.2(-10) mm, base cuneate or truncate, apex acuminate or acute (obtuse), margin usually ciliate (entire or glandular ciliate), both surfaces usually tomentose (glabrous or glandular-hispid). Flowers 7-merous; calyx 3.9-7.9 mm long, tube 0.5-2.8 mm long and 2.7-6 mm diam., rusty-red, brown, or gray, glabrous or tomentose (glandular-hispid), lobes widely to very widely ovate (ovate, widely depressed ovate, widely elliptic, or deltate), apex acute to obtuse, (mucronate), 2.7-5.6 × 2-4.9 mm, the longest lobes (3. l-)3.4-5.6 mm long, margin erose, ciliolate, or ciliate, abaxial surface tomentose or glabrous (glandular-hispid); corolla tubular, pink to red, sometimes white, petals undulate, narrowly obovate or elliptic, (15.5-)18.5-35.5 × (3.3-)4.4-10(-12.5) mm, margin entire, often distally slightly tomentose; stamens slightly exserted (subequal to corolla or long exserted), (15.5-)19-35.5(-48.5) mm long, filaments tomentose, anthers 1.9-4 mm long and 0.8-1.7 mm diam., glabrous or slightly tomentose; ovary glabrous, style exserted, 20.5-53 mm long, stigma lobed. Capsules depressed globose, 4.5-6 mm long and 8.4-11.8 mm diam., dark brown, valves separating from the pericarp; seeds 1.2-1.7(-2.6) mm long and 0.2-0.6 mm diam.

Discussion:

Bejaria mathewsii is characterized by large red tubular or fusiform corollas often with exserted stamens, long calyx lobes, and long leaves with long petioles.

Bejaria mathewsii is most closely related to B. resinosa and B. ledifolia. These three species share the same floral type, i.e., large red tubular or fusiform corollas, often with exserted stamens, and long calyx lobes. Bejaria mathewsii differs from the other two species mainly in leaf characters. Both B. resinosa and B. ledifolia have ovate or longitudinally curled leaves less than 3 cm long and a petiole less than 3.5 mm long, whereas B. mathewsii commonly has leaves longer than 3 cm and petioles longer than 3.5 mm. Although B. mathewsii and B. resinosa can commonly be separated, there is some intergradation in critical characters around Popayan, Colombia. Because this area of intergradation is small and in most instances there is no difficulty separating these species, I am retaining B. mathewsii and B. resinosa as distinct species. The Colombian populations of B. mathewsii (to which B. aestuans and B. phillyriaefolia have been applied) have slightly smaller floral parts than the Peruvian populations. However, because there is such great overlap, I have not separated these populations as separate taxa.

Distribution:

Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Caldas Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Cundinamarca Colombia South America| Huila Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Tolima Colombia South America| Valle del Cauca Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Loja Ecuador South America| Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America|

Common Names:

angucho, angujo