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)

Family:

Ericaceae

Synonyms:

Gaultheria secunda J.Rémy, Brossea secunda (Remy) Kuntze

Description:

Description - Erect shrub. Petioles and midrib of leaf lamina adaxially eglandular. Floral bract and bracteoles ca. 5, with surface pilose and ciliate; pedicels densely puberulent to short-pilose and also with eglandular, strigose hairs or rarely gland-tipped setae. Calyx lobes ciliate but marginally eglandular; corolla rotate-campanulate, ± gibbous at base, glabrous, pale yellowish-green; stamens ca. 2.5 mm long; filaments ca. 2 mm long, glabrous; anthers ca. 1 mm long; ovary weakly short-pilose or glabrous; style 2-3 mm long, glabrous.

Discussion:

Gaultheria buxifolia is characterized by small, broadly ovate to often subrotund, usually crenate and adaxially pilose leaves; leaves which are usually spreading or reflexed on the mature stems; solitary flowers which are usually regularly scattered along the twigs; and often gland-tipped setae on the pedicels and abaxial leaf surfaces.

There is considerable variation throughout the range of this species with regard to stem, twig, pedicel, and floral indumentum. Populations from southern Colombia (especially Cauca Dept.) are often more densely short-pilose (i.e., G. pubescens Fedtschenko & Basilevskaja). Furthermore, some indumentum on the pedicels and lower leaf surfaces may consist of gland-tipped setae. Nearly every combination of hair types and glandularity is seen, and no consistent patterns were found; occasionally, even duplicate sheets from one collection differ. As an example of this variation, the general indumentum patterns for the taxa of northwestern South America (i.e., Venezuela and Colombia) may be summarized as follows: 1) in northeastern Colombia (depts. Magdalena, Norte de Santander, Santander, and Boyacá) most plants have glandular hairs in some combination on the pedicels and leaves; 2) in central and southern Colombia (depts. Cundinamarca, Huila, and Cauca) plants are mostly eglandular; 3) in western Venezuela (Táchira and Mérida states) about half the plants are eglandular, while the other half have glands only on the pedicels, a rare few have glands on both leaves and pedicels; 4) in the eastern Andes of Venezuela (Trujillo and Lara states) the plants are eglandular; and 5) in the coastal range above Caracas the few collections seen (including the type) have glands on both leaves and pedicels.

Variation within the corolla, however, has taxonomic significance, and I have chosen to recognize it at the varietal level. Variety buxifolia has a white, urceolate corolla which is broadest at or below the middle. On the other hand, populations in Antioquia and adjacent Tolima depts., Colombia (i.e., var. elassantha), and in Peru and Bolivia (i.e., var. secunda) have a light green corolla which is rotate-campanulate, broadest across the distal tip, and gibbous at base when fresh (not seen in dried herbarium specimens).

Small bees repeatedly visited the flowers of Luteyn & Dorr 13497 (var. secunda), presumably for nectar.

Sleumer was the first to notice the similarity of some Peruvian populations with G. buxifolia when he annotated a Ruiz & Pavón collection from Pillao as "G. buxifolia" Macbride (1959) synonymized G. buxifolia under G. secunda, although he did so with a question mark and only mentioned their similarities in discussion. Gaultheria buxifolia Willdenow, however, is the oldest name for this species. Several other features noted in the key support both this demarcation and the further recognition of two varieties within the green-flowered populations.

Gaultheria buxifolia is most closely related to G. anastomosans and is discussed with that species.

Distribution:

Peru South America| Ayacucho Peru South America| Cusco Peru South America| Huancavelica Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Puno Peru South America| Bolívar Ecuador South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America|