Monographs Details:
Authority:
Luteyn, James L., et al. 1995. Ericaceae, Part II. The Superior-Ovaried Genera (Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Rhododendroideae, and Vaccinioideae P.P.). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 66: 560. (Published by NYBG Press)
Luteyn, James L., et al. 1995. Ericaceae, Part II. The Superior-Ovaried Genera (Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Rhododendroideae, and Vaccinioideae P.P.). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 66: 560. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Synonyms:
Lyonia dictyoneura Urb., Xolisma heptamera Small, Xolisma dictyoneura (Urb.) Small
Lyonia dictyoneura Urb., Xolisma heptamera Small, Xolisma dictyoneura (Urb.) Small
Description:
Species Description - Low evergreen shrub, usually not over ca. 2 m tall, generally from an underground woody burl, with gray, longitudinally furrowed bark; twigs slightly angled, usually stout, sparsely to moderately lepidote, otherwise glabrous; buds ovoid, 2-4 × 23 mm. Leaf blades ovate, 2-6(-9) × 1.7-5(-6.7) cm, ± flat, thick-coriaceous, ca. 0.4-0.7 mm thick; base cordate to less commonly rounded (to cuneate in immature plants); apex slightly acuminate or acute, to truncate or rounded; margin revolute or plane, apical portion irregularly sinuous to obscurely toothed, basal portion sinuous to entire; venation brochidodromous, 3° veins reticulate to percurrent; adaxial surface often roughened by thickened scale bases, especially near margin or toward apex, lepidote but scales usually quickly deciduous, glabrous on midvein, the veins usually slightly depressed, ± obscure above 4°; abaxial surface moderately to densely lepidote, otherwise densely pubescent, all veins prominently raised and forming conspicuous network; scales rust colored, deciduous to persistent, ca. 0.07-0.22 mm in diameter, erose to nearly entire; petiole 4-10 mm long, lepidote, otherwise glabrous; flower buds ± intermixed with vegetative buds. Inflorescences fasciculate to shortly racemose, 4-13-flowered; pedicels clearly articulated with calyx, stout, 5-20 mm long, lepidote, otherwise pubescent; bracteoles opposite to subopposite, basal or nearly so, narrowly triangular, 2-6 nun long; floral bracts 4-9 mm long, usually caducous. Flowers (5-)6-7(-8)-merous; calyx lobes triangular, with acuminate apices, (2-)2.5-6 × 1.5-5 mm, adaxial side slightly pubescent, especially at margins and near apex, abaxial side densely lepidote, otherwise moderately to densely pubescent; corolla carnose, urceolate, white to pink tinged, especially near mouth, 8-13 × 8-13 mm, abaxially densely to moderately lepidote; filaments roughened, 4.5-7 mm long, unappendaged or with spurs to ca. 0.6 mm long near junction with anthers; anthers 2-4 mm long; ovary lepidote, otherwise pubescent, placentae subapical to nearly central. Capsules subglobose to short-ovoid, 4-7 × 7-10.5 mm, moderately to densely lepidote, otherwise sparsely to densely pubescent, especially near base, the pale, very thick sutures separating as unit from adjacent valves; seeds 1.5-2 mm long.
Species Description - Low evergreen shrub, usually not over ca. 2 m tall, generally from an underground woody burl, with gray, longitudinally furrowed bark; twigs slightly angled, usually stout, sparsely to moderately lepidote, otherwise glabrous; buds ovoid, 2-4 × 23 mm. Leaf blades ovate, 2-6(-9) × 1.7-5(-6.7) cm, ± flat, thick-coriaceous, ca. 0.4-0.7 mm thick; base cordate to less commonly rounded (to cuneate in immature plants); apex slightly acuminate or acute, to truncate or rounded; margin revolute or plane, apical portion irregularly sinuous to obscurely toothed, basal portion sinuous to entire; venation brochidodromous, 3° veins reticulate to percurrent; adaxial surface often roughened by thickened scale bases, especially near margin or toward apex, lepidote but scales usually quickly deciduous, glabrous on midvein, the veins usually slightly depressed, ± obscure above 4°; abaxial surface moderately to densely lepidote, otherwise densely pubescent, all veins prominently raised and forming conspicuous network; scales rust colored, deciduous to persistent, ca. 0.07-0.22 mm in diameter, erose to nearly entire; petiole 4-10 mm long, lepidote, otherwise glabrous; flower buds ± intermixed with vegetative buds. Inflorescences fasciculate to shortly racemose, 4-13-flowered; pedicels clearly articulated with calyx, stout, 5-20 mm long, lepidote, otherwise pubescent; bracteoles opposite to subopposite, basal or nearly so, narrowly triangular, 2-6 nun long; floral bracts 4-9 mm long, usually caducous. Flowers (5-)6-7(-8)-merous; calyx lobes triangular, with acuminate apices, (2-)2.5-6 × 1.5-5 mm, adaxial side slightly pubescent, especially at margins and near apex, abaxial side densely lepidote, otherwise moderately to densely pubescent; corolla carnose, urceolate, white to pink tinged, especially near mouth, 8-13 × 8-13 mm, abaxially densely to moderately lepidote; filaments roughened, 4.5-7 mm long, unappendaged or with spurs to ca. 0.6 mm long near junction with anthers; anthers 2-4 mm long; ovary lepidote, otherwise pubescent, placentae subapical to nearly central. Capsules subglobose to short-ovoid, 4-7 × 7-10.5 mm, moderately to densely lepidote, otherwise sparsely to densely pubescent, especially near base, the pale, very thick sutures separating as unit from adjacent valves; seeds 1.5-2 mm long.
Discussion:
Lyonia heptamera is a very distinctive species that can be confused only with its close relative, L. buchii, from which it differs in its smaller, usually cordate-based (vs. cuneate to rounded), and more coriaceous leaves with more obscure venation on the adaxial surface, its urceolate (vs. widely urceolate to campanulate) flowers, and its low, shrubby (vs. arborescent) habit. In addition, the capsules of L. heptamera are chiefly 6- and 7-merous, while those of L. buchii are more consistently 6-merous. These two species are isolated by their elevational ranges and habitats, with L. heptamera essentially limited to high-elevation pine forests (ca. 2000-3175 m elev.), and L. buchii occurring chiefly in lower-elevation pine forests, cloud forests, and thickets (ca. 800-2100 m elev.). Although their elevational ranges appear to overlap slightly, the two taxa have not been seen growing together.Vigorous young shoots of both species are often bright orange due to their dense covering of peltate scales, and the leaves are often colored reddish by anthocyanin pigments. As the leaves become lignified, their color changes to a deep green. The size of the leaves and the depression of the secondary through quaternary veins on the adaxial surface varies greatly with the vigor and habitat of the shrub. Young plants or seedlings have much smaller, less raised-reticulate-veined, more cuneate-based, ovate leaves with fewer unicellular hairs on the abaxial surface than do mature plants. As the shrubs increase in size, the leaves become cordate-based on upper erect shoots and cuneate-based on small shoots near the base of the plant.Since Lyonia heptamera flowers more or less continuously throughout the year, it is often in bloom at the same time as L. tuerckheimii and L. urbaniana, which grow in the same habitats. There are occasional hybrids between it and these two species (Judd, 1981).
Lyonia heptamera is a very distinctive species that can be confused only with its close relative, L. buchii, from which it differs in its smaller, usually cordate-based (vs. cuneate to rounded), and more coriaceous leaves with more obscure venation on the adaxial surface, its urceolate (vs. widely urceolate to campanulate) flowers, and its low, shrubby (vs. arborescent) habit. In addition, the capsules of L. heptamera are chiefly 6- and 7-merous, while those of L. buchii are more consistently 6-merous. These two species are isolated by their elevational ranges and habitats, with L. heptamera essentially limited to high-elevation pine forests (ca. 2000-3175 m elev.), and L. buchii occurring chiefly in lower-elevation pine forests, cloud forests, and thickets (ca. 800-2100 m elev.). Although their elevational ranges appear to overlap slightly, the two taxa have not been seen growing together.Vigorous young shoots of both species are often bright orange due to their dense covering of peltate scales, and the leaves are often colored reddish by anthocyanin pigments. As the leaves become lignified, their color changes to a deep green. The size of the leaves and the depression of the secondary through quaternary veins on the adaxial surface varies greatly with the vigor and habitat of the shrub. Young plants or seedlings have much smaller, less raised-reticulate-veined, more cuneate-based, ovate leaves with fewer unicellular hairs on the abaxial surface than do mature plants. As the shrubs increase in size, the leaves become cordate-based on upper erect shoots and cuneate-based on small shoots near the base of the plant.Since Lyonia heptamera flowers more or less continuously throughout the year, it is often in bloom at the same time as L. tuerckheimii and L. urbaniana, which grow in the same habitats. There are occasional hybrids between it and these two species (Judd, 1981).
Distribution and Ecology: (Fig. 7A). Dominican Republic, Cordillera Central. Chiefly in high-elevation Pinus occidentalis forests, occasionally in adjacent cloud forest; ca. 2000-3175 m elev. Common understory shrub (for associated species see Urban, 1909, 1923; Ciferri, 1936; Graham & Jarzen, 1969; Liogier, 1976; Judd, 1981). Flowering ± continuously.
Distribution:
Dominican Republic South America|
Dominican Republic South America|
Common Names:
palo de reina
palo de reina