Monographs Details:
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Terrestrial shrub to 3 m tall; mature stems terete, striate, glabrate; bark reddish-brown, cracking longitudinally; twigs subterete bluntly angled, striate, short-pilose with hairs less than 0.5 mm long, glabrate. Leaves thick-coriaceous, subamplexicaul, somewhat bullate, ovate, oblong-ovate, 5-10 x 3-4.5 cm, basally rounded, cordate, the sinus deeper than the petiole is long, apically obtuse, rounded, or sometimes acute, marginally entire, glabrous above or weakly short-pilose along midrib, irregularly pilose to glabrate beneath with white hairs; 7(-9)-plinerved with upper pair of lateral nerves arising 1-2 cm above base, midrib thickened proximal 1-2 cm, impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, lateral nerves arching, impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly raised above but obscure, raised beneath and obscure to prominent; petiole subterete, rugose, 5-7 mm long, densely short-pilose above, glabrate. Infloresence axillary, racemose, 35-50-flowered, very congested, nodes raised and conspicuous, apparently elongating and flowering over a long time period with only a few flowers open at any given time; rachis subterete, coarsely and bluntly angled, rugose, 7-11 cm long and 2-3.5 mm diam., densely short-pilose with white hairs; floral bract deeply concave, appressed against flower at anthesis then soon deciduous, ovate to elliptic, 10-12 x 8-10 mm, apically acute, densely cilate, short-pilose on exposed lamina surfaces especially distally, marginally sparsely glandular-fimbriate, green suffused with red when fresh; pedicel terete, rugose, expanded just below articulation, ca. 3-4 mm long at anthers, elongating to 6-8 mm later, densely short-pilose; bracteoles located along lower half of pedicel, ovate to elliptic, rounded but apiculate, ca. 3 mm long and wide, densely cilate, densely short-pilose on exposed lamina surface, marginally caducous glandular-fimbriate. Flowers with calyx and corolla densely short-pilose; calyx subcylindric, ca. 7 mm long; hypanthium cylindric to barrel-shaped, 10-ribbed, ca. 3.5 mm long, about equal to the limb, basally rounded to truncate, nonapophysate, red when fresh; limb cylindric, ca. 3.5 mm long, green when fresh; lobes triangular, ca. 1 mm long, connivent after anthesis, marginally deciduously glandular-fimbriate; sinuses broadly rounded; corolla cylindric to slightly bottle-shaped, slightly narrow to throat, bluntly pertagonal, ca. 10 mm long and 5-6 mm diam., totally red when fresh, lobes triangular, ca. 1 mm long; stamens ca. 7.5 mm long; filaments with long one weakly pilose distally on ventral surface and short one glabrous, alternately ca. 2 mm and 1.5 mm long; anthers alternately ca. 6 mm and 6.5 mm long; thecae 3.5-4 mm long; style glabrous, ca. 7.3 mm long. Berry not seen.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Colombia and known only from the type area, along the roadside and edge of disturbed cloud forest.
Species Description - Terrestrial shrub to 3 m tall; mature stems terete, striate, glabrate; bark reddish-brown, cracking longitudinally; twigs subterete bluntly angled, striate, short-pilose with hairs less than 0.5 mm long, glabrate. Leaves thick-coriaceous, subamplexicaul, somewhat bullate, ovate, oblong-ovate, 5-10 x 3-4.5 cm, basally rounded, cordate, the sinus deeper than the petiole is long, apically obtuse, rounded, or sometimes acute, marginally entire, glabrous above or weakly short-pilose along midrib, irregularly pilose to glabrate beneath with white hairs; 7(-9)-plinerved with upper pair of lateral nerves arising 1-2 cm above base, midrib thickened proximal 1-2 cm, impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, lateral nerves arching, impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly raised above but obscure, raised beneath and obscure to prominent; petiole subterete, rugose, 5-7 mm long, densely short-pilose above, glabrate. Infloresence axillary, racemose, 35-50-flowered, very congested, nodes raised and conspicuous, apparently elongating and flowering over a long time period with only a few flowers open at any given time; rachis subterete, coarsely and bluntly angled, rugose, 7-11 cm long and 2-3.5 mm diam., densely short-pilose with white hairs; floral bract deeply concave, appressed against flower at anthesis then soon deciduous, ovate to elliptic, 10-12 x 8-10 mm, apically acute, densely cilate, short-pilose on exposed lamina surfaces especially distally, marginally sparsely glandular-fimbriate, green suffused with red when fresh; pedicel terete, rugose, expanded just below articulation, ca. 3-4 mm long at anthers, elongating to 6-8 mm later, densely short-pilose; bracteoles located along lower half of pedicel, ovate to elliptic, rounded but apiculate, ca. 3 mm long and wide, densely cilate, densely short-pilose on exposed lamina surface, marginally caducous glandular-fimbriate. Flowers with calyx and corolla densely short-pilose; calyx subcylindric, ca. 7 mm long; hypanthium cylindric to barrel-shaped, 10-ribbed, ca. 3.5 mm long, about equal to the limb, basally rounded to truncate, nonapophysate, red when fresh; limb cylindric, ca. 3.5 mm long, green when fresh; lobes triangular, ca. 1 mm long, connivent after anthesis, marginally deciduously glandular-fimbriate; sinuses broadly rounded; corolla cylindric to slightly bottle-shaped, slightly narrow to throat, bluntly pertagonal, ca. 10 mm long and 5-6 mm diam., totally red when fresh, lobes triangular, ca. 1 mm long; stamens ca. 7.5 mm long; filaments with long one weakly pilose distally on ventral surface and short one glabrous, alternately ca. 2 mm and 1.5 mm long; anthers alternately ca. 6 mm and 6.5 mm long; thecae 3.5-4 mm long; style glabrous, ca. 7.3 mm long. Berry not seen.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Colombia and known only from the type area, along the roadside and edge of disturbed cloud forest.
Discussion:
Conservation Status: Rare and endangered.
Conservation Status: Rare and endangered.
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