Monographs Details:
Authority:
1953. Amer. J. Bot. 40: 469.
1953. Amer. J. Bot. 40: 469.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Epiphytic, long-pendent shrub with branches to ca. 4 m long, rarely terrestrial; stem subterete, bluntly angled, nitid, dark reddish-brown, glabrous; twigs strongly flexuous, subterete, angled, nitid, glabrous or cinerous. Leaves coriaceous, thick-succulent when fresh, essentially sessile, strongly involute, funnel-shaped, and broadly amplexicaul, broadly ovate, 3.5-8.5 x 3-6.5 cm, base rounded to strongly cordate, apex acuminate, margin entire, slightly recurved, entire lamina wrinkled when dry, glabrous but with glandular fimbriae 0.2-0.4 mm long on both surfaces, subglabrate; 5-7-plinerved from the base, midrib impressed or obscurely raised above, lateral nerves impressed or obscurely raised above, reticulate veinlets impressed above, sometimes all nerves except midrib obscure; petiole terete, rugose, ca. 1 mm long, short-pilose. Inflorescence axillary, concealed in the base of the involute leaves and deciduous with them, 1-2-flowered, glabrous; rachis minute or none; floral bract oblong, obtuse or acute, 0.7-0.8 mm long; pedicel terete, 3.5-6 mm long; bracteoles basal, similar to floral bract. Flowers with calyx 3-3.5 mm long, glabrous; hypanthium obconic, rugose, inconspicuously 5-angled, ca. 1.5 mm long; limb erect-spreading, cupuliform, inconspicuously 5-toothed; lobes apiculate, hardly 0.3 mm long; sinuses complanate; corolla thick carnose, urceolate, contracted at base and apex, 7-7.5 mm long and 5-6 mm diam at middle, pale green (type), the lobes oblong-deltate, acute, ca. 1 mm long; stamens 10 (rarely 11), ca. 7 mm long; filaments 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers 5-5.5 mm long; thecae ca. 1.5 mm long, the base minutely mucronate; tubules ca. 3.5 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 0.5 mm long; style equalling corolla, glabrous; nectariferous disc annular-pulvinate, glabrous. Mature berry not seen, but immature ca. 9 mm diam.
Distribution and Ecology - Colombia (one collection) and Ecuador (five collections); premontane to montane cloud forest, at 2200-2700 m altitude.
Species Description - Epiphytic, long-pendent shrub with branches to ca. 4 m long, rarely terrestrial; stem subterete, bluntly angled, nitid, dark reddish-brown, glabrous; twigs strongly flexuous, subterete, angled, nitid, glabrous or cinerous. Leaves coriaceous, thick-succulent when fresh, essentially sessile, strongly involute, funnel-shaped, and broadly amplexicaul, broadly ovate, 3.5-8.5 x 3-6.5 cm, base rounded to strongly cordate, apex acuminate, margin entire, slightly recurved, entire lamina wrinkled when dry, glabrous but with glandular fimbriae 0.2-0.4 mm long on both surfaces, subglabrate; 5-7-plinerved from the base, midrib impressed or obscurely raised above, lateral nerves impressed or obscurely raised above, reticulate veinlets impressed above, sometimes all nerves except midrib obscure; petiole terete, rugose, ca. 1 mm long, short-pilose. Inflorescence axillary, concealed in the base of the involute leaves and deciduous with them, 1-2-flowered, glabrous; rachis minute or none; floral bract oblong, obtuse or acute, 0.7-0.8 mm long; pedicel terete, 3.5-6 mm long; bracteoles basal, similar to floral bract. Flowers with calyx 3-3.5 mm long, glabrous; hypanthium obconic, rugose, inconspicuously 5-angled, ca. 1.5 mm long; limb erect-spreading, cupuliform, inconspicuously 5-toothed; lobes apiculate, hardly 0.3 mm long; sinuses complanate; corolla thick carnose, urceolate, contracted at base and apex, 7-7.5 mm long and 5-6 mm diam at middle, pale green (type), the lobes oblong-deltate, acute, ca. 1 mm long; stamens 10 (rarely 11), ca. 7 mm long; filaments 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers 5-5.5 mm long; thecae ca. 1.5 mm long, the base minutely mucronate; tubules ca. 3.5 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 0.5 mm long; style equalling corolla, glabrous; nectariferous disc annular-pulvinate, glabrous. Mature berry not seen, but immature ca. 9 mm diam.
Distribution and Ecology - Colombia (one collection) and Ecuador (five collections); premontane to montane cloud forest, at 2200-2700 m altitude.
Discussion:
Illustration Luteyn (1996), plate 1. Conservation status: Rare and endangered.
Illustration Luteyn (1996), plate 1. Conservation status: Rare and endangered.