Cavendishia
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Authority
Luteyn, James L. 1976. A revision of the Mexican Central American species of Cavendishia (Vacciniaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 28 (3): 1-138.
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Family
Ericaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Genus Description - Erect, evergreen, epiphytic or terrestrial shrubs; bark thin, cracking longitudinally. Leaves alternate, simple, estipulate, plinerved or pinnate, coriaceous, marginally entire and revolute, usually bearing on both surfaces (at least when immature) multicellular, reddish or blackish, slightly sunken, glandular trichomes to 0.2 mm long, these persistent or, if caducous, leaf surface appears punctate. Inflorescence axillary, racemose or sometimes subfasciculate, usually solitary, encircled at the base by a progression of bracts the smallest minute and triangular, the largest conforming to the shape and size of the individual floral bracts, these inflorescence bracts being few to numerous, imbricate, coriaceous, smooth or minutely striate or muricate, marginally scarious and usually minutely glandular-fimbriate. Floral bracts solitary at base of pedicel, usually large and showy. Pedicels cylindric, bibracteolate near the base or rarely midway u p the pedicel.Bracteoles chartaceous or coriaceous. Calyx articulate with pedicel, constricted at base of limb; tube basally apophysate or not, fused with ovary wall; limb erect or spreading, free from ovary wall, 5-lobed. Corolla tubular, usually carnose when fresh, 5-lobed; lobes valvate or conduplicate-valvate, usually flaring at anthesis. Stamens 10, subequal or rarely unequal with each other, subequal with corolla;filaments ligulate, usually distinct or rarely slightly coherent at extreme base at anthesis, alternately unequal; anthers alternately unequal, thecae smooth or slightly granular, tubules about same width as thecae and about twice as long, dehiscent by introrse, elongate clefts. Ovary inferior, 5-locular, surmounted by a flat or cupuliform nectariferous disc. Style filiform, straight or sigmoid, usually glabrous; stigma minutely 5-lobed, truncate but slightly flaring at anthesis. Fndt a juicy, many-seeded, spherical, dark blue-black berry; seeds minute 0.5-1 mm long, testa ruminate.
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Discussion
?Chupalon Adanson, Fam. Pl. 2: 164. 1763.
Socratesia Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 22. 1851. Type: 5. melastomoides Kl., Costa Rica, Warszewiez s.n. (Lectotype: B, not seen, presumably destroyed, photo of type DUKE! NY!).
Polyboea Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 24. 1851.
Proclesia Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 32. 1851.
Type: C. nobilis, Feru, Mathews 2078 (Holotype: CGE! photo of type DUKE! isotypes: K! W!).