Taxon Details: Sphyrospermum sodiroi (Hoerold) A.C.Sm.
Taxon Profile:
The Plant List
International Plant Name Index
Tropicos
Catalogue of Life
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
JSTOR Types
JSTOR
BHL
Encyclopedia of Life
WikiSpecies
Google Scholar
PubMed
Morphbank
IUCN
National Center for Biotechnology Information
Barcode of Life
Narratives:

Family:

Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:

Sphyrospermum sodiroi (Hoerold) A.C.Sm.
Primary Citation:

Brittonia 1(4): 211. 1933
Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.
Description:

Description: Epiphytic or epilitic shrubs with branches pendent to 3 m, often rooting at nodes; stems and twigs terete, striate to ribbed, densely hispid with eglandular hairs 0.6-1.2 mm long, glabrescent. Leaves succulent and brittle when fresh but drying thin-coriaceous and usually very wrinkled (beneath), ovate, 1-3 x 0.8-1.5 cm, base rounded, subcordate, apex obtusely or subacutely short-acuminate, margin thin, ciliate, lamina sparsely hispid on both surfaces when young with eglandular and glandular hairs 0.5-0.8 mm long, glabrescent; obscurely 3-5-plinerved from base, midrib slightly impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves and tertiary veinlets usually slightly raised on both surfaces but obscure; petiole subterete, slightly flattened above, rugose, 1-1.5 mm long, hispid, glabrescent. Inflorescences axillary, flowers solitary or sometimes in fascicles of 2, about equaling to slightly shorter than the subtending leaves; floral bract 1, oblong-ovate, obtuse to acute, 0.4-0.6 mm long, ciliate with glandular hairs; pedicel terete, 6-9 mm long, sparsely hispid; bracteoles 2, basal, opposite, linear, ca. 0.6 mm long. Flowers 5-merous, diplostemonous; calyx 3-3.5 mm long, moderately to densely hispid with eglandular, sometimes crisped hairs, ca. 0.7 mm long; tube subglobose, 1-1.8 mm long; limb campanulate, erect to spreading, ca. 1.5-1.7 mm long; lobes triangular, acuminate, 0.6-0.8 mm long and broad; sinuses rounded; corolla cylindric, broadest above middle, constricted at throat, 9-12 mm long and 5-8 mm diam. at broadest point, bright red, moderately hispid without with eglandular hairs ca. 0.7 mm long, the lobes strongly reflexed but not exposing stamen tips at anthesis, oblong-ovate, obtuse, ca. 1.5 mm long, dark purplish-black and thus contrasting with the tube; stamens 10, subequal in length, ca. 9.3-10.5 mm long; filaments alternately slightly unequal in length, ca. 5.5-7.5 mm long, sparsely pilose; anthers alternately slightly unequal in length, ca. 3-4.5 mm long; thecae ca. 1.5-2 mm long, the base straight, with basal appendage; tubules ca. 1.8-2.5 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 0.5-1.5 mm long; style slightly exserted. Mature berry unknown, but at least 6 mm diam. and turning pale violet to lavender (fide label data); embryo color unknown.

Distribution: Endemic to west-central Ecuador, growing in montane cloud forest at 1800–3200(–3936) m.

Type: ECUADOR. Pichincha: Volcán Corazón, 2800 m, August 1882 (fl), Sodiro 92/29 [holotype B destroyed (photo F neg. 4728); lectotype (designated by Luteyn 1996) NY! fragment ex B; isolectotype F! fragment ex B].

Conservation status: Nearly threatened (NT).

Cultivated: E.

Updates and other relevant taxonomic sources: Description updated on Jan 2013. For generic synopsis, keys, and evaluation of conservation status see Phytotaxa.