Authority:

Luteyn, James L. 1983. Ericaceae--part I. Cavendishia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 1-290. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family:

Ericaceae

Synonyms:

Socratesia melastomoides Klotzsch

Description:

Species Description - Epiphytic or rarely terrestrial shrub, 0.5-3 m tall, usually with pendulous branches; stem base 1-7.5 cm in diam.; mature branches pendent, terete, smooth, glabrous and often appearing glaucous, red or green suffused with red when fresh, but drying tan to reddish-brown; bark gray; twigs subterete, bluntly angled, striate, glabrous or rarely sparsely short-pilose, provided with tiny, reddish, caducous glands. Leaves lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, or elliptic, 3-8.5(-10) X (1-) 1.5-4 cm, basally rounded, truncate, or cuneate, apically long-acuminate or caudate-acuminate, glabrous or rarely short-pilose then becoming glabrate; 3(-5)-plinerved, midrib impressed and prominent above or somewhat plane distally, raised and conspicuous beneath, lateral nerves slightly raised on both surfaces or rarely impressed above, obscure or conspicuous beneath, veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces but ± obscure; petioles subterete, flattened adaxially, rugose, (3-)4.5-9 mm long and 0.5-1.5 mm in diam., glabrous or densely short-pilose becoming glabrate. Inflorescence usually with all parts viscid, (4-)6-10(-18)-flowered (with lowest 1-4 nodes often sterile); rachis subterete or bluntly angled, sometimes ribbed, glabrous, (2-)3-8(-15) cm long and 1-1.5 mm in diam., pale green to pink, often provided with few to many, red, sessile or short-clavate glandular fimbriae; floral bracts often caducous, often translucent when fresh, smooth or ribbed when dry, oblong, oblanceolate, or elliptic rarely semiorbicular, 4-22 X 3-12 mm, basally cuneate or truncate, slightly clasping, apically acute or rounded, often apiculate and glandular-callose, rarely emarginate, with minute, red, clavate, glandular fimbriae abaxially, glabrous, rose to pale green often then with pinkish margins or entire bract turning pink with age; pedicels striate, ribbed, glabrous, (7-) 10-21 (-27) mm long and 0.4-1 mm in diam., pale green to pinkish-green, often provided with either sessile or clavate, reddish glandular fimbriae; bracteoles positioned basally to ca. midway up pedicel, smooth or conspicuously nerved, ovate, ovate-lanceolate and often cochleariform, or semiorbicular, 1-5 X 0.5-6 mm, apically acute and glandular-callose in distal 1/3-½, or rounded with glandular-callose apiculum, green or pinkish-green. Flowers: calyx glabrous, (3-)4.5-7.5 mm long, dark pink or red at anthesis later turning green; hypanthium smooth or rugose, 5-angled or ribbed, 1-2(-3) mm long, basally broadly apophysate with apophysis margin deeply 5-lobed and perpendicular to calyx axis or somewhat ascending; limb cylindric or somewhat spreading, smooth or rugose, often conspicuously striate, (2-)2.5-5(-6.5) mm long; lobes triangular, (0.5-)1-1.5 mm long, erect after anthesis, completely glandular-callose, usually dark green or reddish-green at anthesis; sinus obtuse or broadly rounded and almost flat; corolla cylindric, slightly narrowed at throat, sometimes curving upwards distally, viscid or not, 16-41 mm long and 3-7 mm in diam., glabrous or weakly pilose distal ½, tube dull white, blue, or dark reddish-maroon, lobes triangular, obtuse, 1-2.5 mm long, erect to reflexed at anthesis; stamens 16-34.5 mm long; filaments glabrous or pilose, alternately 2.5-6 mm and 5.5-12.5 mm long; anthers alternately 14-32 mm and 11.5-25 mm long; thecae 3-8 mm long; style 18.5-40 mm long. Berry 11-14 mm in diam.

Distribution:

Costa Rica South America| Panama Central America|