Monographs Details:
Authority:
Pedraza-Peñalosa, Paola & Luteyn, James L. 2010. New species of Ericaceae (Vaccinieae) from the Andes of Bolivia and Peru. Brittonia. 62 (1): 39-56.
Pedraza-Peñalosa, Paola & Luteyn, James L. 2010. New species of Ericaceae (Vaccinieae) from the Andes of Bolivia and Peru. Brittonia. 62 (1): 39-56.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Description - Epiphytic shrubs. Twigs subterete, flattened, puberulous, the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular; mature branches terete, the bark fissured, brown, puberulous or glabrescent, the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular; prophylls 2, opposite, valvate, ovate, 0.6-0.7 mm long, the apex acute. Leaves alternate, spirally arranged; petioles subterete, 1.3-2 mm long, puberulous, the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular; blades coriaceous, elliptic, 1.6- 2.1 x 0.4-0.7 cm, the base attenuate, the margin entire, slightly revolute towards base in dried material, ciliolate towards apex of young leaves, the hairs simple, unicellular and egland- ular, the apex bluntly acute, glabrous above sometimes glabrescent with inconspicuous simple hairs, either eglandular and unicellular, or, multicellular and glandular, glabrescent beneath with simple, multicellular and glandu- lar hairs; venation probably pinnate, but only the midrib evident and this impressed above and raised beneath. Axillary solitary flowers rarely 2-flowered fascicles; bracts and floral bract undifferentiated, 2-3, persistent, cuculiate, ovate, 0.8-1.5 mm long, the margin eciliate, the apex obtuse, glabrous on both surfaces; pedicels articulate with calyx, 1.8- 2. 1 mm long, glabrous except for a ring of hairs at articulation, the hairs simple, multicellular and glandular; bracteoles 2, distinct, persistent, inserted near middle of pedicel, ovate, 1.5- 1.7x1.6-2.2 mm, the margin occasionally ciliolate at apex, the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular, the apex obtuse, glabrous on both surfaces. Flowers 4-merous, diplostemonous. Calyx obconic overall, conspicuously angulated, 2.4-3.2 mm long, green, glabrous, the aestivation valvate; tube obconic, 1.6-1.9 mm long; limb 0.8-1.3 mm long; lobes triangular, 0.5-0.7x0.9-1 mm, the margin eciliate, the apex acute; sinuses acute (Vshaped). Corolla bistratose, color unknown, cylindric or narrowly urceolate, 3.9-4.3 mm long, 1 .6-1 .8 mm diam., externally glabrescent and internally puberulous, in both cases the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular, the aestivation valvate; lobes triangular, 1.1 x 0.7 - 0.9 mm, the apex acute. Stamens 8, equal, exserted, 3.5 - 4mm long; filaments equal, distinct, long- triangular, some geniculate while some are striaight (within the same flower), 1.7-2mm long, puberlous on both surfaces, the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular; anthers equal, distinct, 2.1 -2.2 mm long; thecae 1.0 mm long, papillate with some basal papillae elongating into simple unicellular hairs, cells with polygonal shape; tubules 2, distinct, 1.1 - 1.2 mm long, minutely papillate towards base, dehiscing by introrse slits 0.6 mm long. Ovary 4- locular, placentation axile; style exserted, 4-4.3 mm long. Immature berry, more or less spherical, ca. 4.5-5 mm diam., reddish.
Description - Epiphytic shrubs. Twigs subterete, flattened, puberulous, the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular; mature branches terete, the bark fissured, brown, puberulous or glabrescent, the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular; prophylls 2, opposite, valvate, ovate, 0.6-0.7 mm long, the apex acute. Leaves alternate, spirally arranged; petioles subterete, 1.3-2 mm long, puberulous, the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular; blades coriaceous, elliptic, 1.6- 2.1 x 0.4-0.7 cm, the base attenuate, the margin entire, slightly revolute towards base in dried material, ciliolate towards apex of young leaves, the hairs simple, unicellular and egland- ular, the apex bluntly acute, glabrous above sometimes glabrescent with inconspicuous simple hairs, either eglandular and unicellular, or, multicellular and glandular, glabrescent beneath with simple, multicellular and glandu- lar hairs; venation probably pinnate, but only the midrib evident and this impressed above and raised beneath. Axillary solitary flowers rarely 2-flowered fascicles; bracts and floral bract undifferentiated, 2-3, persistent, cuculiate, ovate, 0.8-1.5 mm long, the margin eciliate, the apex obtuse, glabrous on both surfaces; pedicels articulate with calyx, 1.8- 2. 1 mm long, glabrous except for a ring of hairs at articulation, the hairs simple, multicellular and glandular; bracteoles 2, distinct, persistent, inserted near middle of pedicel, ovate, 1.5- 1.7x1.6-2.2 mm, the margin occasionally ciliolate at apex, the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular, the apex obtuse, glabrous on both surfaces. Flowers 4-merous, diplostemonous. Calyx obconic overall, conspicuously angulated, 2.4-3.2 mm long, green, glabrous, the aestivation valvate; tube obconic, 1.6-1.9 mm long; limb 0.8-1.3 mm long; lobes triangular, 0.5-0.7x0.9-1 mm, the margin eciliate, the apex acute; sinuses acute (Vshaped). Corolla bistratose, color unknown, cylindric or narrowly urceolate, 3.9-4.3 mm long, 1 .6-1 .8 mm diam., externally glabrescent and internally puberulous, in both cases the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular, the aestivation valvate; lobes triangular, 1.1 x 0.7 - 0.9 mm, the apex acute. Stamens 8, equal, exserted, 3.5 - 4mm long; filaments equal, distinct, long- triangular, some geniculate while some are striaight (within the same flower), 1.7-2mm long, puberlous on both surfaces, the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular; anthers equal, distinct, 2.1 -2.2 mm long; thecae 1.0 mm long, papillate with some basal papillae elongating into simple unicellular hairs, cells with polygonal shape; tubules 2, distinct, 1.1 - 1.2 mm long, minutely papillate towards base, dehiscing by introrse slits 0.6 mm long. Ovary 4- locular, placentation axile; style exserted, 4-4.3 mm long. Immature berry, more or less spherical, ca. 4.5-5 mm diam., reddish.
Discussion:
Phenology. - The type was flowering and had immature fruits in July.
Etymology. - Themistoclesia tunquiniensis is named for the biological research station "Tunquini" in the Department of La Paz, Bolivia.Themistoclesia tunquiniensis is character- ized by its apically bluntly acute leaves, axillary flowers or few-flowered fascicles, pedicels articulate with calyces, flowers 4- merous, calyces sharply angled, corollas puberulous within, and staminal filaments that are either straight or geniculate. The differences and similarities of this species with T. siranensis, a similar species, are summarized in Table I.