Monographs Details:
Authority:
1851. Linnaea. 24: 24.
1851. Linnaea. 24: 24.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Coarse, epiphytic shrub sometimes with lianoid branches to 6 m long; stem terete, smooth to striate, nitid, glabrous; twigs subterete or complanate and bluntly angled, smooth to striate, glabrous. Leaves rigidly coriaceous, elliptic or elliptic- to ovate-lanceolate, (5.5-)7-18 x (2-)3-7.5 cm, base cuneate to obtuse or subcordate, rarely short-attenuate, apex acuminate, sometimes somewhat abruptly so, margin slightly revolute proximally and flat distally, nitid, glabrous on both surfaces, but with scattered, minute, glandular-fimbriae beneath; 3-5-plinerved from near the base, midrib thickened and slightly raised in the proximal 1-1.5 cm then impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves and reticulate veinlets slightly raised above and conspicuous, raised but veinlets inconspicuous beneath; petiole subterete, rugose, sometimes slightly winged, 6-8 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 10-30-flowered, surrounded at the base by oblong, oblong-ovate to lanceolate, rounded to long-acuminate, spreading, glabrous bracts to 9-20 x 8 mm; rachis subterete, complanate and sharply angled, thin, (2-)5-10 cm long, glabrous; floral bract similar to inflorescence bracts; pedicel subterete, complanate, angled, thin, 9-22 mm long, glabrous or rarely weakly puberulent at apex; bracteoles basal or nearly so, narrowly oblong-ovate, linear-lanceolate to aristate, 2.5-3 x 0.5-1 mm, marginally glandular-fimbriate. Flowers with calyx sometimes stipitate, cylindric-campanulate, ca. 4-5.5 mm long, glabrous or rarely weakly puberulent; hypanthium terete, sometimes strongly rugose or longitudinally ribbed, 1.5-3 mm long, basally apophysate; limb campanulate-spreading, 1.5-2.5 mm long; lobes broadly triangular, acute-acuminate, to ca. 1 mm long, margin deciduously glandular-fimbriate; sinuses broadly rounded; corolla subcarnose when fresh but drying thin-translucent, cylindric, 25-31 mm long, glabrous, rose-red to deep crimson with white apex, the lobes strongly reflexed, broadly triangular, bluntly acute, 1-1.5 mm long, white; stamen 10, alternately ca. 7 mm and 9 mm long; filaments connate in the basal half, alternately ca. 4 mm and 7 mm long, distally densely short-pilose; anthers ca. 4 mm long; thecae ca. 1.7-2 mm long; tubules ca. 2-2.3 mm long, dehiscing by terminal, slightly flaring pores; style exserted, to ca. 32 mm long, glabrous. Berry spherical, mm diam., glabrous, blue-black.
Distribution and Ecology - Ecuador and Peru; montane wet forest, at 900-2640 m altitude.
Species Description - Coarse, epiphytic shrub sometimes with lianoid branches to 6 m long; stem terete, smooth to striate, nitid, glabrous; twigs subterete or complanate and bluntly angled, smooth to striate, glabrous. Leaves rigidly coriaceous, elliptic or elliptic- to ovate-lanceolate, (5.5-)7-18 x (2-)3-7.5 cm, base cuneate to obtuse or subcordate, rarely short-attenuate, apex acuminate, sometimes somewhat abruptly so, margin slightly revolute proximally and flat distally, nitid, glabrous on both surfaces, but with scattered, minute, glandular-fimbriae beneath; 3-5-plinerved from near the base, midrib thickened and slightly raised in the proximal 1-1.5 cm then impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves and reticulate veinlets slightly raised above and conspicuous, raised but veinlets inconspicuous beneath; petiole subterete, rugose, sometimes slightly winged, 6-8 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 10-30-flowered, surrounded at the base by oblong, oblong-ovate to lanceolate, rounded to long-acuminate, spreading, glabrous bracts to 9-20 x 8 mm; rachis subterete, complanate and sharply angled, thin, (2-)5-10 cm long, glabrous; floral bract similar to inflorescence bracts; pedicel subterete, complanate, angled, thin, 9-22 mm long, glabrous or rarely weakly puberulent at apex; bracteoles basal or nearly so, narrowly oblong-ovate, linear-lanceolate to aristate, 2.5-3 x 0.5-1 mm, marginally glandular-fimbriate. Flowers with calyx sometimes stipitate, cylindric-campanulate, ca. 4-5.5 mm long, glabrous or rarely weakly puberulent; hypanthium terete, sometimes strongly rugose or longitudinally ribbed, 1.5-3 mm long, basally apophysate; limb campanulate-spreading, 1.5-2.5 mm long; lobes broadly triangular, acute-acuminate, to ca. 1 mm long, margin deciduously glandular-fimbriate; sinuses broadly rounded; corolla subcarnose when fresh but drying thin-translucent, cylindric, 25-31 mm long, glabrous, rose-red to deep crimson with white apex, the lobes strongly reflexed, broadly triangular, bluntly acute, 1-1.5 mm long, white; stamen 10, alternately ca. 7 mm and 9 mm long; filaments connate in the basal half, alternately ca. 4 mm and 7 mm long, distally densely short-pilose; anthers ca. 4 mm long; thecae ca. 1.7-2 mm long; tubules ca. 2-2.3 mm long, dehiscing by terminal, slightly flaring pores; style exserted, to ca. 32 mm long, glabrous. Berry spherical, mm diam., glabrous, blue-black.
Distribution and Ecology - Ecuador and Peru; montane wet forest, at 900-2640 m altitude.
Discussion:
Illustration Luteyn (1996), plate 8. Thibaudia secundiflora Poeppig & Endlicher, Nov. Gen. Sp. 1: 5, pl. 9. 1835.
Illustration Luteyn (1996), plate 8. Thibaudia secundiflora Poeppig & Endlicher, Nov. Gen. Sp. 1: 5, pl. 9. 1835.