Monographs Details:
Authority:
Luteyn, James L. 1983. Ericaceae--part I. Cavendishia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 1-290. (Published by NYBG Press)
Luteyn, James L. 1983. Ericaceae--part I. Cavendishia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 1-290. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub to 5 m tall; mature branches subterete, smooth to slightly striate, glabrous; twigs subterete or bluntly angled, striate or ridged, glabrous. Leaves thin to thick coriaceous, lanceolate, elliptic, ovate- or oblong-elliptic, 6-17.5 X 2-6.5 cm, basally broadly cuneate or rounded, blade sometimes narrowly-attenuate along upper 1/3 of petiole then causing it to appear slightly winged, apically long-acuminate, glabrous; 5-7-plinerved from near base, midrib raised and thickened through proximal 1.5 cm otherwise impressed above and prominent beneath, lateral nerves impressed or becoming plane distally above and prominent beneath, veinlets impressed or slightly elevated above and inconspicuous or conspicuously elevated beneath and then leaves appearing slightly bullate; petioles subterete, flattened adaxially, rugose, 4-7(-13) mm long and 13 mm diam., glabrous. Inflorescence (6-)8-30-flowered, circumscribed at the base by imbricate, coriaceous, smooth, glabrous to densely appressed pilose, broadly ovate to oblong-ovate bracts to 20 mm long; rachis subterete, bluntly angled, rugose, glabrous, (1.5-)4-10 cm long (still in bud at tips) and 3-4 mm diam., nodes congested or widespread; floral bracts chartaceous to membranaceous when dry, glabrous, oblong-elliptic, apically rounded, 20-36 X 16-25 mm, pink; pedicels subcylindric, slightly rugose, glabrous, 3-10(-13) mm long and 1-2 mm diam.; bracteoles basal, chartaceous, oblong or ovate-oblong, keeled, slightly auriculate, apically rounded, 4-8.5 X (1.5-)3-5 mm, marginally glandular-fimbriate and broadly scarious. Flowers: calyx glabrous, 7-15 mm long, pale green but tinged pink; hypanthium cylindric or somewhat campanulate, slightly rugose, fimbriate, 1.5-3 mm long, basally rounded and nonapophysate but shallowly undulate; limb cylindric somewhat spreading, 5.5-11 mm long, with scattered fimbriae; lobes oblong, 3-8 X 1.5-4 mm, apically rounded and apiculate, separate at anthesis but imbricate in bud and after anthesis when the lobes remain erect but curl around base of style, marginally undulate and glandular-fimbriate, widely scarious; corolla cylindric or bottle-shaped, slightly carnose, 18-31 mm long and ca. 5-7 mm diam., glabrous, dark pink to red but tipped white, lobes deltoid, widely flaring at anthesis, ca. 1-1.5 mm long; stamens 14.5-22 mm long; filaments glabrous or densely short-pilose ventrally in distal half, alternately 2.5-5 mm or 5.5-10 mm long; anthers alternately 13-18 mm or 11-14 mm long; thecae 4-6 mm long; style 17-32 mm long. Mature berry not seen.
Species Description - Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub to 5 m tall; mature branches subterete, smooth to slightly striate, glabrous; twigs subterete or bluntly angled, striate or ridged, glabrous. Leaves thin to thick coriaceous, lanceolate, elliptic, ovate- or oblong-elliptic, 6-17.5 X 2-6.5 cm, basally broadly cuneate or rounded, blade sometimes narrowly-attenuate along upper 1/3 of petiole then causing it to appear slightly winged, apically long-acuminate, glabrous; 5-7-plinerved from near base, midrib raised and thickened through proximal 1.5 cm otherwise impressed above and prominent beneath, lateral nerves impressed or becoming plane distally above and prominent beneath, veinlets impressed or slightly elevated above and inconspicuous or conspicuously elevated beneath and then leaves appearing slightly bullate; petioles subterete, flattened adaxially, rugose, 4-7(-13) mm long and 13 mm diam., glabrous. Inflorescence (6-)8-30-flowered, circumscribed at the base by imbricate, coriaceous, smooth, glabrous to densely appressed pilose, broadly ovate to oblong-ovate bracts to 20 mm long; rachis subterete, bluntly angled, rugose, glabrous, (1.5-)4-10 cm long (still in bud at tips) and 3-4 mm diam., nodes congested or widespread; floral bracts chartaceous to membranaceous when dry, glabrous, oblong-elliptic, apically rounded, 20-36 X 16-25 mm, pink; pedicels subcylindric, slightly rugose, glabrous, 3-10(-13) mm long and 1-2 mm diam.; bracteoles basal, chartaceous, oblong or ovate-oblong, keeled, slightly auriculate, apically rounded, 4-8.5 X (1.5-)3-5 mm, marginally glandular-fimbriate and broadly scarious. Flowers: calyx glabrous, 7-15 mm long, pale green but tinged pink; hypanthium cylindric or somewhat campanulate, slightly rugose, fimbriate, 1.5-3 mm long, basally rounded and nonapophysate but shallowly undulate; limb cylindric somewhat spreading, 5.5-11 mm long, with scattered fimbriae; lobes oblong, 3-8 X 1.5-4 mm, apically rounded and apiculate, separate at anthesis but imbricate in bud and after anthesis when the lobes remain erect but curl around base of style, marginally undulate and glandular-fimbriate, widely scarious; corolla cylindric or bottle-shaped, slightly carnose, 18-31 mm long and ca. 5-7 mm diam., glabrous, dark pink to red but tipped white, lobes deltoid, widely flaring at anthesis, ca. 1-1.5 mm long; stamens 14.5-22 mm long; filaments glabrous or densely short-pilose ventrally in distal half, alternately 2.5-5 mm or 5.5-10 mm long; anthers alternately 13-18 mm or 11-14 mm long; thecae 4-6 mm long; style 17-32 mm long. Mature berry not seen.
Discussion:
Cavendishia calycina is notable for its elongate calyx limb; long, oblong, fimbriate and somewhat undulate-margined calyx lobes which remain erect after anthesis but curl around the style base; and elongate, oblong bracteoles. The calyx lobes are noticeably imbricate before and after anthesis, but are separate or at best contiguous in the proximal half during anthesis.The type was a single specimen which “bears only one disintegrated inflorescence and two flowers” (Smith, 1941). Because I had seen no other comparable specimens, I (Luteyn, 1976) placed it in the synonymy of crassifolia (=C. bracteata s.l.) stating that “the calyx characters of calycina, the pedicel and bracteole characters ... are restricted to the holotype specimen. Since other collections of C. crassifolia from scattered localities throughout the range may show tendencies towards elongate calyx limbs and oblong calyx lobes, it seems advisable at this time to synonymize C. calycina with C. crassifolia." Now that I have seen more collections from western and central Panama, I feel there is a suite of characters (mentioned above) which appear consistent enough to support recognition of C. calycina. The available collections do show some variation, however, especially those from Cerro Colorado and the Fortuna dam site. These have smaller leaves, inflorescences of only 6-8 not 25-30 flowers, rachises 1-2 cm not 4-10 cm, and overlapping floral nodes. Since many of these collections are not fully mature or are in early fruiting stages, I am not prepared to recognize any infraspecific taxa at this time.Because of the imbricate nature of the calyx lobes before and after anthesis, C. calycina is keyed under both ser. Cavendishiae and Imbricatae. This feature however further strengthens the close relationship between these two series, and C. calycina may be the link between them.
Cavendishia calycina is notable for its elongate calyx limb; long, oblong, fimbriate and somewhat undulate-margined calyx lobes which remain erect after anthesis but curl around the style base; and elongate, oblong bracteoles. The calyx lobes are noticeably imbricate before and after anthesis, but are separate or at best contiguous in the proximal half during anthesis.The type was a single specimen which “bears only one disintegrated inflorescence and two flowers” (Smith, 1941). Because I had seen no other comparable specimens, I (Luteyn, 1976) placed it in the synonymy of crassifolia (=C. bracteata s.l.) stating that “the calyx characters of calycina, the pedicel and bracteole characters ... are restricted to the holotype specimen. Since other collections of C. crassifolia from scattered localities throughout the range may show tendencies towards elongate calyx limbs and oblong calyx lobes, it seems advisable at this time to synonymize C. calycina with C. crassifolia." Now that I have seen more collections from western and central Panama, I feel there is a suite of characters (mentioned above) which appear consistent enough to support recognition of C. calycina. The available collections do show some variation, however, especially those from Cerro Colorado and the Fortuna dam site. These have smaller leaves, inflorescences of only 6-8 not 25-30 flowers, rachises 1-2 cm not 4-10 cm, and overlapping floral nodes. Since many of these collections are not fully mature or are in early fruiting stages, I am not prepared to recognize any infraspecific taxa at this time.Because of the imbricate nature of the calyx lobes before and after anthesis, C. calycina is keyed under both ser. Cavendishiae and Imbricatae. This feature however further strengthens the close relationship between these two series, and C. calycina may be the link between them.
Distribution:
Panama Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America|
Panama Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America|
Multimedia:
