Oreanthes sperlingii Luteyn
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Authority
1996. Fl. Ecuador. 54: 336.
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Family
Ericaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type: Ecuador. Imbabura: Cotacachi-Cayapas National Park, Alturas de Cayachupa, 18 Jun 1980 (fl), Sperling & Bleiweiss 5141 (holotype: NY; isotypes: QCA, QCNE).
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Description
Species Description - Scrambling epiphytic shrub, trailing and climbing over other shrubs; stem and twigs subterete to terete, somewhat striate, glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, apparently not succulent, elliptic-ovate, 4.5-6.5 x 2.7-4 cm, base rounded or obtuse, apex abruptly short-acuminate, the apex itself blunt or sharply acute, margin entire, glabrous on both surfaces; 5-7-plinerved from near the base, midrib raised and thickened in the proximal 0.7-1 cm then impressed distally above, conspicuously raised beneath, lateral nerves conspicuously impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets impressed above but obscure beneath; petiole subterete, slightly rugose, ca. 4 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence fasciculate, 1-2-flowered; floral bract deltate, obtuse, ca. 1 mm long, glabrous; pedicel subterete, striate, muricate, 11-20 mm long, glabrous but sparsely glandular-fimbriate; bracteoles located near the middle, linear-oblong, acuminate, ca. 1.6 mm long, glabrous but marginally glandular-fimbriate. Flowers with calyx ca. 5 mm long, glabrous but glandular-fimbriate; hypanthium obconic, bluntly ribbed, ca. 2.5 mm long; limb campanulate-spreading, ca. 2.5 mm long; lobes deltate, acuminate, ca. 1.2 mm long, eglandular; sinuses rounded; corolla tubular, terete, ca. 22 mm long and 6 mm diam. when dry, glabrous but glandular-fimbriate, red (fide label), the lobes oblong-triangular, acute, ca. 5 mm long; stamens 10, ca. 18 mm long; filaments distinct, ca. 2 mm long, glabrous; anther ca. 17 mm long including thecal tuft of hairs; thecae ca. 4 mm long, the base mucronate and densely pubescent with a short tuft of whitish hairs; tubules difficult to distinguish from thecae and not much narrower, ca. 13 mm long, dehiscing by truncate, terminal, slightly flaring pores; mature style not seen, but apparently slightly exserted, glabrous. Berry not seen.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic and known only from the type collection; no habitat nor altitude given. Rare and probably endangered. This is the first species of Oreanthes to be collected north of Chimborazo Province, Ecuador. It was named to honor its collector, Dr. Calvin R. Sperling.