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
Description:
Species Description - Erect shrub to 1 m tall; mature stems terete, striate, glabrous; bark thin, cracking longitudinally, reddish-brown; twigs subterete, often ribbed beneath nodes, glabrous; buds minute, ovate, scales glabrous, reddish-brown. Leaves coriaceous, sharply ascending, narrowly elliptic, ovate-elliptic, or ovate, (1.5-)2.5-5 × (0.5-)0.9-1.8 cm, base narrowly rounded, obtuse, or broadly cuneate, apex acuminate, sharply short-mucronate, margin shortly and broadly serrate with each tooth terminating in a conspicuous, short, callose-thickened hair ca. 0.1 mm long, glabrous on both surfaces; midrib raised and conspicuous on both surfaces, lateral nerves (ca. 3-9 per side) slightly to conspicuously raised on both surfaces and collectively forming a conspicuous, elevated, marginal nerve running entire length of lamina, reticulate veinlets slightly raised and conspicuous on both surfaces; petiole subterete, flattened above, 2-4 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 8-30-flowered, congested near branch tips, basally bracteate with few, scattered, sterile, ovate-elliptic bracts to ca. 4 mm long; rachis subterete, angled, striate, 4-13 cm long, densely to moderately puberulent with eglandular hairs (also with a few, scattered, stout, capitate, gland-tipped hairs ca. 0.2 mm long); pedicels subterete, ribbed, striate, (5-)8-11 mm long at anthesis, lengthening to ca. 18 mm long post anthesis, pubescent as on rachis; bracteoles 2, nearly basal, appressed, ovate-elliptic, 2.5-4 × ca. 1.5 mm, ciliolate, remotely crenate and rarely marginally glandular-fimbriate; floral bract conspicuously articulate with pedicel, strongly keeled, conspicuously veined, ± conduplicate, ovate, 4-7 × 1.5-2 mm, acute to short-acuminate, ciliolate, crenate with each tooth terminating in a gland-tipped hair. Flowers with calyx 5-6 mm long, lobes cleft to base and not imbricate, often strongly keeled in basal half, linear- to elliptic-ovate, 4-5 × 1.3-1.5 mm, acuminate, ciliolate, glabrous on lamina without but puberulent within, remotely crenate with each tooth terminating in a short, gland-tipped hair; corolla cylindric-urceolate, 5-ribbed (probably pentagonal when fresh), 5-7 × ca. 4 mm, glabrous without but medially short-pilose within, red (type collection) to white (fide Kinoshita-Gouvêa, 1981) when fresh, lobes oblong, ca. 1.5 mm long, obtuse; stamens 4.8-5 mm long; filaments ca. 3.2 mm long, glabrous; anthers 2-2.2 mm long, thecae slightly elongated and narrowed into short tubules, awns virtually nonexistent, but vestigial spurs apparent at base of connective; ovary glabrous; style ca. 3.5 mm long, glabrous. Fruiting calyx remaining membranous (i.e., not becoming fleshy and surrounding the capsule), capsule itself with slightly thickened sutures and apparently opening from apex downwards.
Species Description - Erect shrub to 1 m tall; mature stems terete, striate, glabrous; bark thin, cracking longitudinally, reddish-brown; twigs subterete, often ribbed beneath nodes, glabrous; buds minute, ovate, scales glabrous, reddish-brown. Leaves coriaceous, sharply ascending, narrowly elliptic, ovate-elliptic, or ovate, (1.5-)2.5-5 × (0.5-)0.9-1.8 cm, base narrowly rounded, obtuse, or broadly cuneate, apex acuminate, sharply short-mucronate, margin shortly and broadly serrate with each tooth terminating in a conspicuous, short, callose-thickened hair ca. 0.1 mm long, glabrous on both surfaces; midrib raised and conspicuous on both surfaces, lateral nerves (ca. 3-9 per side) slightly to conspicuously raised on both surfaces and collectively forming a conspicuous, elevated, marginal nerve running entire length of lamina, reticulate veinlets slightly raised and conspicuous on both surfaces; petiole subterete, flattened above, 2-4 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 8-30-flowered, congested near branch tips, basally bracteate with few, scattered, sterile, ovate-elliptic bracts to ca. 4 mm long; rachis subterete, angled, striate, 4-13 cm long, densely to moderately puberulent with eglandular hairs (also with a few, scattered, stout, capitate, gland-tipped hairs ca. 0.2 mm long); pedicels subterete, ribbed, striate, (5-)8-11 mm long at anthesis, lengthening to ca. 18 mm long post anthesis, pubescent as on rachis; bracteoles 2, nearly basal, appressed, ovate-elliptic, 2.5-4 × ca. 1.5 mm, ciliolate, remotely crenate and rarely marginally glandular-fimbriate; floral bract conspicuously articulate with pedicel, strongly keeled, conspicuously veined, ± conduplicate, ovate, 4-7 × 1.5-2 mm, acute to short-acuminate, ciliolate, crenate with each tooth terminating in a gland-tipped hair. Flowers with calyx 5-6 mm long, lobes cleft to base and not imbricate, often strongly keeled in basal half, linear- to elliptic-ovate, 4-5 × 1.3-1.5 mm, acuminate, ciliolate, glabrous on lamina without but puberulent within, remotely crenate with each tooth terminating in a short, gland-tipped hair; corolla cylindric-urceolate, 5-ribbed (probably pentagonal when fresh), 5-7 × ca. 4 mm, glabrous without but medially short-pilose within, red (type collection) to white (fide Kinoshita-Gouvêa, 1981) when fresh, lobes oblong, ca. 1.5 mm long, obtuse; stamens 4.8-5 mm long; filaments ca. 3.2 mm long, glabrous; anthers 2-2.2 mm long, thecae slightly elongated and narrowed into short tubules, awns virtually nonexistent, but vestigial spurs apparent at base of connective; ovary glabrous; style ca. 3.5 mm long, glabrous. Fruiting calyx remaining membranous (i.e., not becoming fleshy and surrounding the capsule), capsule itself with slightly thickened sutures and apparently opening from apex downwards.
Discussion:
Gaultheria sleumeriana is characterized by its coriaceous leaves with a distinct, raised, submarginal nerve; floral bracts conspicuously articulate with the pedicel, conspicuously nerved, and crenate with each tooth bearing a gland-tipped hair (thereby causing the bract to look very similar to a miniature leaf); calyx lobes cleft nearly to the base, always separate never imbricate during anthesis, crenate, and not becoming fleshy or accrescent in fruit; anthers with- out awns but instead with short tubules, also with vestigial spurs at the base of the connective; and capsules with slightly thickened sutures which begin to separate apically. It is closely related to G. itatiaiae, also from SE Brazil, with which it has in common non-fleshy, non-accrescent fruiting calyx lobes, anthers with more or less short tubules, and capsules with slightly thickened sutures. These characters are unique in Gaultheria, indicating an isolated position for these two species and one that perhaps indicates a relationship to the Lyonia-group of genera (see Introduction).Middleton (1991b) placed G. sleumeriana together with G. itatiaiae, G. ulei, G. bradeana, and G. myrtilloides into the distinct series Myrtilloideae. Although related to the other SE Brazilian species in ser. Myrtilloideae, I have proposed that G. sleumeriana and G. itatiaiae merit their own series based on their unique combination of characters mentioned above (but see “Infrageneric Relationships”).
Gaultheria sleumeriana is characterized by its coriaceous leaves with a distinct, raised, submarginal nerve; floral bracts conspicuously articulate with the pedicel, conspicuously nerved, and crenate with each tooth bearing a gland-tipped hair (thereby causing the bract to look very similar to a miniature leaf); calyx lobes cleft nearly to the base, always separate never imbricate during anthesis, crenate, and not becoming fleshy or accrescent in fruit; anthers with- out awns but instead with short tubules, also with vestigial spurs at the base of the connective; and capsules with slightly thickened sutures which begin to separate apically. It is closely related to G. itatiaiae, also from SE Brazil, with which it has in common non-fleshy, non-accrescent fruiting calyx lobes, anthers with more or less short tubules, and capsules with slightly thickened sutures. These characters are unique in Gaultheria, indicating an isolated position for these two species and one that perhaps indicates a relationship to the Lyonia-group of genera (see Introduction).Middleton (1991b) placed G. sleumeriana together with G. itatiaiae, G. ulei, G. bradeana, and G. myrtilloides into the distinct series Myrtilloideae. Although related to the other SE Brazilian species in ser. Myrtilloideae, I have proposed that G. sleumeriana and G. itatiaiae merit their own series based on their unique combination of characters mentioned above (but see “Infrageneric Relationships”).
Distribution:
São Paulo Brazil South America|
São Paulo Brazil South America|
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