Monographs Details:
Authority:
1996. Fl. Ecuador. 54: 227.
1996. Fl. Ecuador. 54: 227.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Epiphytic shrub; stem subterete, ribbed, striate, glabrous; bark dark grayish to reddish-brown when dry; twigs subterete, bluntly complanate, striate, glabrous; bud scales obscure, ovate, acuminate, ca. 0.8 mm long, glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, concave to somewhat conduplicate, ovate, 1-2.2 x 0.6-1.2 cm, base rounded, apex bluntly short-acuminate, margin entire, recurved, glabrous above and sparsely pilose beneath, glabrate; 5-plinerved from near the base, midrib and lateral nerves plane to weakly raised and usually obscure above, all venation totally obscure beneath; petiole terete, rugose, 2-3 mm long, white puberulent. Inflorescence axillary, solitary, short-racemose, 2-3-flowered; rachis terete, 1-2 mm long, weakly short-pilose and also with scattered glandular fimbriae; floral bract broadly ovate, acuminate, ca. 0.7 x 1.2 mm, marginally ciliolate and with a few glandular fimbriae; pedicel terete, ribbed, 4-6 mm long, densely white puberulent; bracteoles located medially along pedicel, ovate, acuminate-aristate, ca. 0.6 x 0.3 mm, puberulent. Flowers pendent, with calyx 4-6 mm long, densely white puberulent; hypanthium cylindric, terete, 2.5-3.5 mm long; limb campanulate, spreading, 2-3.5 mm long; lobes oblong-ovate, sharply denticulate, 1.5-2 mm long, dorsally and centrally each lobe with a circular, blackish, callose gland, ca. 0.4 mm diam.; sinuses acute; corolla tubular, apparently not ventricose at base, 26-31 mm long, puberulent, orange-red (fide label), the lobes reflexed, linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate, ca. 11 mm long, purple (fide label), dorsally and basally each lobe provided with two, circular, black glands, ca. 0.2 mm diam.; stamen about equalling corolla in overall length, but alternately 27-28 mm and ca. 29 mm long; filaments connate over entire length, alternately ca. 5.5 mm and 6.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers alternately unequal, ca. 25.5 and 24.5 mm long; thecae unequal, alternately ca. 7.5 mm and 8.5 mm long; tubules slightly unequal, fused nearly to the apex, 16-16.5 mm long, dehiscing by oblique, slightly flaring clefts, ca. 0.7 mm long; style ca. 31 mm long, glabrous. Berry not seen.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador, and known only from the type collection from forest at 1300 m altitude.
Species Description - Epiphytic shrub; stem subterete, ribbed, striate, glabrous; bark dark grayish to reddish-brown when dry; twigs subterete, bluntly complanate, striate, glabrous; bud scales obscure, ovate, acuminate, ca. 0.8 mm long, glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, concave to somewhat conduplicate, ovate, 1-2.2 x 0.6-1.2 cm, base rounded, apex bluntly short-acuminate, margin entire, recurved, glabrous above and sparsely pilose beneath, glabrate; 5-plinerved from near the base, midrib and lateral nerves plane to weakly raised and usually obscure above, all venation totally obscure beneath; petiole terete, rugose, 2-3 mm long, white puberulent. Inflorescence axillary, solitary, short-racemose, 2-3-flowered; rachis terete, 1-2 mm long, weakly short-pilose and also with scattered glandular fimbriae; floral bract broadly ovate, acuminate, ca. 0.7 x 1.2 mm, marginally ciliolate and with a few glandular fimbriae; pedicel terete, ribbed, 4-6 mm long, densely white puberulent; bracteoles located medially along pedicel, ovate, acuminate-aristate, ca. 0.6 x 0.3 mm, puberulent. Flowers pendent, with calyx 4-6 mm long, densely white puberulent; hypanthium cylindric, terete, 2.5-3.5 mm long; limb campanulate, spreading, 2-3.5 mm long; lobes oblong-ovate, sharply denticulate, 1.5-2 mm long, dorsally and centrally each lobe with a circular, blackish, callose gland, ca. 0.4 mm diam.; sinuses acute; corolla tubular, apparently not ventricose at base, 26-31 mm long, puberulent, orange-red (fide label), the lobes reflexed, linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate, ca. 11 mm long, purple (fide label), dorsally and basally each lobe provided with two, circular, black glands, ca. 0.2 mm diam.; stamen about equalling corolla in overall length, but alternately 27-28 mm and ca. 29 mm long; filaments connate over entire length, alternately ca. 5.5 mm and 6.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers alternately unequal, ca. 25.5 and 24.5 mm long; thecae unequal, alternately ca. 7.5 mm and 8.5 mm long; tubules slightly unequal, fused nearly to the apex, 16-16.5 mm long, dehiscing by oblique, slightly flaring clefts, ca. 0.7 mm long; style ca. 31 mm long, glabrous. Berry not seen.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador, and known only from the type collection from forest at 1300 m altitude.