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

Description:

Species Description - Semiprostrate to erect shrub, 0.3-2 m tall; mature stem subterete, striate, slightly ribbed, glabrous; bark cracking longitudinally, dark grayish-red; twigs subterete, striate, ribbed, shortly white puberulent, also hirsute with thin, straight, ferruginous, gland-tipped hairs to 1 mm long; buds terete, ovoid, to ca. 3 mm long, scales numerous, ovate, acute to rounded, striate, puberulent and ciliolate, reddish-brown. Leaves coriaceous, erect and somewhat clasping the stem, ovate, (1.7-)2.6-4.5 × (1.2-)2-3.5(-4) cm, base rounded, strongly cordate, apex short-acuminate with a blunt, glandular mucro, minutely serrate and also sometimes irregularly crenate, with each tooth terminating in a deciduous, basally swollen, gland-tipped hair ca. 0.5 mm long, lamina short-hirsute above with gland-tipped hairs 0.2-0.4 mm long, densely tomentose to somewhat floccose-tomentose beneath with soft, crisped, ferruginous, eglandular hairs to 2 mm long, sometimes glabrate; midrib, lateral nerves (3-4 per side), and reticulate veinlets all conspicuous and impressed above and slightly raised beneath; petiole subterete, slightly flattened above, rugose, papillate, 2-4 mm long, tomentose as the leaves. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 8-16-flowered, surrounded at the base by numerous, striate, ovate to ovate-elliptic, acute to rounded, scarious and densely ciliolate, dorsally sparsely white pilose bracts to ca. 8 mm long; rachis subterete, relatively thin, 1.5-5.5 cm long, densely white puberulent, also densely hirsute with thin, straight to somewhat crisped, ferruginous, gland-tipped hairs to ca. 1 mm long; pedicels subterete, 7-14 mm long, puberulent and glandular pubescent as rachis; bracteoles spreading, located near base to just below middle of pedicel, subopposite (to 2 mm apart), striate, narrowly elliptic-ovate, 3.5-6 × 1-1.3 mm, acuminate, dorsally and marginally glandular pubescent; floral bract spreading to reflexed, striate, cochleariform, ovate-elliptic to oblanceolate, (6-)8-11 × 4-7 mm, acute to acuminate, ciliolate and marginally glandular pubescent, lamina dorsally glabrate to moderately appressed pubescent with ferruginous, minutely gland-tipped hairs. Calyx 6-8 mm long, white puberulent basally, also densely pubescent with thin, straight to somewhat crisped, ferruginous, gland-tipped hairs as rachis, lobes narrowly triangular to triangular-ovate, 4-6 × 2-3 mm, long-acuminate, ciliolate but not puberulent on lamina, glandular-pubescent as calyx proper, glabrous within distally; corolla urceolate to urceolate-cylindric, terete to slightly angled, (6-)8-9 × 5-7 mm, sparsely pilose in basal half, also densely hirsute to somewhat strigose with thin, straight, ferruginous, minutely gland-tipped hairs to 1 mm long, glabrous to sparsely pilose within, whitish to pale or dark pink to deep rose when fresh, lobes ovate, 1-1.5 mm long, obtuse; stamens 5-6 mm long; filaments 3.5-4.5 mm long, pilose; anthers 2.7-3.5 mm long, awns short but conspicuous; ovary densely short-pilose; style ca. 5 mm long. Fruiting calyx not mature, but at least 6 mm diam., seemingly blue-black.

Discussion:

Gaultheria santanderensis is characterized by erect, somewhat clasping leaves with soft, tomentose to nearly floccose-tomentose indumentum on the lower surface, the hairs being eglandular; large and densely glandular pubescent flowers; and proportionately long and narrow calyx lobes. The flowers are usually nodding when fresh, and the young unfolding leaves so densely tomentose beneath as to obsure the actual surface. The leaves are also serrate as well as irregularly crenate. It is closely related to G. erecta but the usually persistently tomentose leaves beneath (not setose-hirsute) and large flowers easily distinguish it from that species and relate it instead to G. chiriquensis.

Distribution:

Amazonas Colombia South America| Norte de Santander Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America|