Monographs Details:
Authority:
1996. Fl. Ecuador. 54: 215, fig. 14.
1996. Fl. Ecuador. 54: 215, fig. 14.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Climbing, epiphytic or terrestrial (?) shrub, 1-3 m tall; stem terete, ribbed, glabrous; bark gray, cracking into longitudinal strips; twigs subterete, bluntly angled, striate, densely short-pilose with white hairs; bud scales narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 3-5 mm long, short-pilose. Leaves coriaceous, ± bullate, elliptic-ovate, 3-6 x 1.5-2.5 cm, base rounded or obtuse, apex bluntly acute, acuminate, or obtuse, margin revolute and longitudinally curled, glabrous above except along base of midrib, densely and softly short, white pilose beneath; 5(-7)-plinerved, the impressed nerves causing the leaves to be bullate, midrib conspicuously thickened and raised in proximal 1 cm but thinner and impressed distally above, conspicuously raised beneath, lateral nerves arising from proximal 1 cm, impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets plane and obscure on both surfaces; petiole subterete, broadly canaliculate above, 3-7 mm long, densely short, white pilose, glabrate. Inflorescence axillary, solitary or rarely 2, short-racemose, 2(-4)-flowered; rachis coarsely angled, striate, 1-3 cm long, densely short, grayish pilose; floral bract ovate, acute, 4-6 x 3-4 mm, short-pilose, marginally sparsely glandular-fimbriate; pedicel coarsely angle to subterete, ribbed, 13-19 mm long elongating to 40 mm post anthesis, densely short, grayish pilose; bracteoles apical, clasping the calyx and concealing the hypanthium at anthesis, persistent, broadly ovate, short-acuminate, 13-20 x 12-18 mm, conspicuously reticulately nerved, densely short-pilose on both surfaces, marginally with scattered glandular fimbriae. Flowers with calyx 22-27 mm long; hypanthium obprismatic, weakly but distinctly 10-costate, 7-10 mm long, densely short-pilose; limb erect, 14-15 mm long; lobes ovate, acuminate, 12-17 x 7-10 mm, short-pilose, marginally with scattered glandular fimbriae; sinuses acute; corolla carnose, cylindric, not ventricose, 42-44 mm long, glabrous where covered by calyx but short-pilose distally, red (fide label), the lobes reflexed, linear-lanceolate, ca. 19 mm long, purplish (fide label); stamen slightly unequal, slightly shorter than corolla in overall length, 37-38 mm long; filaments equal, connate into a tube ca. 6 mm long, glabrous; anthers 34-35 mm long; thecae alternately ca. 13 mm and 14 mm long; tubules equal, ca. 21 mm long, dehiscing by obliquely terminal clefts, ca. 1 mm long; style ca. 40 mm long, glabrous. Berry immature but at least 17 mm diam., short-pilose.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador (Azuay), and known only from two collections; roadsides", "ravines and dry hills" at 2470-2500 m altitude. Rare and probably endangered.
Species Description - Climbing, epiphytic or terrestrial (?) shrub, 1-3 m tall; stem terete, ribbed, glabrous; bark gray, cracking into longitudinal strips; twigs subterete, bluntly angled, striate, densely short-pilose with white hairs; bud scales narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 3-5 mm long, short-pilose. Leaves coriaceous, ± bullate, elliptic-ovate, 3-6 x 1.5-2.5 cm, base rounded or obtuse, apex bluntly acute, acuminate, or obtuse, margin revolute and longitudinally curled, glabrous above except along base of midrib, densely and softly short, white pilose beneath; 5(-7)-plinerved, the impressed nerves causing the leaves to be bullate, midrib conspicuously thickened and raised in proximal 1 cm but thinner and impressed distally above, conspicuously raised beneath, lateral nerves arising from proximal 1 cm, impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets plane and obscure on both surfaces; petiole subterete, broadly canaliculate above, 3-7 mm long, densely short, white pilose, glabrate. Inflorescence axillary, solitary or rarely 2, short-racemose, 2(-4)-flowered; rachis coarsely angled, striate, 1-3 cm long, densely short, grayish pilose; floral bract ovate, acute, 4-6 x 3-4 mm, short-pilose, marginally sparsely glandular-fimbriate; pedicel coarsely angle to subterete, ribbed, 13-19 mm long elongating to 40 mm post anthesis, densely short, grayish pilose; bracteoles apical, clasping the calyx and concealing the hypanthium at anthesis, persistent, broadly ovate, short-acuminate, 13-20 x 12-18 mm, conspicuously reticulately nerved, densely short-pilose on both surfaces, marginally with scattered glandular fimbriae. Flowers with calyx 22-27 mm long; hypanthium obprismatic, weakly but distinctly 10-costate, 7-10 mm long, densely short-pilose; limb erect, 14-15 mm long; lobes ovate, acuminate, 12-17 x 7-10 mm, short-pilose, marginally with scattered glandular fimbriae; sinuses acute; corolla carnose, cylindric, not ventricose, 42-44 mm long, glabrous where covered by calyx but short-pilose distally, red (fide label), the lobes reflexed, linear-lanceolate, ca. 19 mm long, purplish (fide label); stamen slightly unequal, slightly shorter than corolla in overall length, 37-38 mm long; filaments equal, connate into a tube ca. 6 mm long, glabrous; anthers 34-35 mm long; thecae alternately ca. 13 mm and 14 mm long; tubules equal, ca. 21 mm long, dehiscing by obliquely terminal clefts, ca. 1 mm long; style ca. 40 mm long, glabrous. Berry immature but at least 17 mm diam., short-pilose.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador (Azuay), and known only from two collections; roadsides", "ravines and dry hills" at 2470-2500 m altitude. Rare and probably endangered.
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