Monographs Details:
Authority:
1987. Opera Bot. 92: 127.
1987. Opera Bot. 92: 127.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Terrestrial shrub with stout branches to 2.5 m long, glabrous throughout; stem subterete, often bluntly angled, conspicuously striate, stramineous when dry; twigs complanate, strongly but bluntly angled, stramineous when dry. Leaves broadly elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 6-20 x 4.5-14 cm, base rounded and short-attentuate, apex rounded or broadly acute, margin entire, slightly revolute to strongly revolute so as to obscure actual margin in lower one-third of lamina; 5-7(-9)-plinerved (or pinnate ?), midrib thickened and strongly raised in the proxmial 2-7 cm then impressed distally above, lateral nerves weakly impressed to raised in furrows above, raised beneath, the inner pair sometimes arising ca. 7 cm above the base, reticulate veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces, all venation relatively conspicuous; petiole stout, subterete, flattened above, slightly winged, strongly rugose, 6-20 mm long and to ca. 6 mm diam. Inflorescence solitary, axillary, subfasciculate, 2-6-flowered; rachis short, stout, congested with overlapping nodes, to ca. 6 mm long; floral bract caducous, ovate, acuminate, to ca. 2 mm long; pedicel terete, striate, 21-32 mm long; bracteoles basal, similar to floral bract. Flowers with calyx articulatle, ca. 14 mm long (swelling to 18 mm long after anthesis), pale rose-red; hypanthium cylindric, rugose, 5-6 mm long, the base apophysate; limb cylindric-campanulate, 8-9 mm long; lobes broadly triangular, acute, ca. 1-1.5 mm long; sinuses broadly rounded; corolla cylindric, carnose, ca. 28 mm long, rose-red, the lobes spreading, triangular, acute, ca. 3 mm long, pale green at anthesis; stamen equal, ca. 21 mm long; filaments distinct, ca. 4 mm long; anthers ca. 20 mm long; thecae ca. 14-16 mm long, difficult to distinguish from tubules, the base long-tapering; tubules short, distinct, ca. 4-6 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 4 mm long; style glabrous. Mature berry not seen, but large and dark bluish-purple.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador, and found along disturbed roadsides through cloud forest, at 1600-1760 m altitude. Infrequent.
Species Description - Terrestrial shrub with stout branches to 2.5 m long, glabrous throughout; stem subterete, often bluntly angled, conspicuously striate, stramineous when dry; twigs complanate, strongly but bluntly angled, stramineous when dry. Leaves broadly elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 6-20 x 4.5-14 cm, base rounded and short-attentuate, apex rounded or broadly acute, margin entire, slightly revolute to strongly revolute so as to obscure actual margin in lower one-third of lamina; 5-7(-9)-plinerved (or pinnate ?), midrib thickened and strongly raised in the proxmial 2-7 cm then impressed distally above, lateral nerves weakly impressed to raised in furrows above, raised beneath, the inner pair sometimes arising ca. 7 cm above the base, reticulate veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces, all venation relatively conspicuous; petiole stout, subterete, flattened above, slightly winged, strongly rugose, 6-20 mm long and to ca. 6 mm diam. Inflorescence solitary, axillary, subfasciculate, 2-6-flowered; rachis short, stout, congested with overlapping nodes, to ca. 6 mm long; floral bract caducous, ovate, acuminate, to ca. 2 mm long; pedicel terete, striate, 21-32 mm long; bracteoles basal, similar to floral bract. Flowers with calyx articulatle, ca. 14 mm long (swelling to 18 mm long after anthesis), pale rose-red; hypanthium cylindric, rugose, 5-6 mm long, the base apophysate; limb cylindric-campanulate, 8-9 mm long; lobes broadly triangular, acute, ca. 1-1.5 mm long; sinuses broadly rounded; corolla cylindric, carnose, ca. 28 mm long, rose-red, the lobes spreading, triangular, acute, ca. 3 mm long, pale green at anthesis; stamen equal, ca. 21 mm long; filaments distinct, ca. 4 mm long; anthers ca. 20 mm long; thecae ca. 14-16 mm long, difficult to distinguish from tubules, the base long-tapering; tubules short, distinct, ca. 4-6 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 4 mm long; style glabrous. Mature berry not seen, but large and dark bluish-purple.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador, and found along disturbed roadsides through cloud forest, at 1600-1760 m altitude. Infrequent.
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