Monographs Details:
Authority:
1952. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 75.
1952. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 75.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Lianoid, climbing, epiphytic shrub with branches to 4 m long; stem and twigs subterete, bluntly angled, sinuous, nitid, glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, oblong-elliptic, 15-32 x 4-13 cm, base obtuse or narrowing and cuneate, apex narrowing, caudate-acuminate to ca. 25 mm long or abruptly aucte, margin inconspicuously recurved, glabrous on both surfaces, but obscurely and sparsely glandular-fimbriate beneath; 5-7-plinerved, the inner pair of lateral nerves arising 3-9 cm above the base, midrib conspicuously thickened and raised to plane in the proximal 3-9 cm, impressed distally, lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets impressed above and raised beneath; petiole subterete, rugose, longitudinally ribbed, 6-12 mm long and 3-5 mm diam., glabrous. Inflorescence of pin-cushion type; rachis subterete, angled, thin, hardly 2-3 mm long and seemingly 1 (or maybe 2)-flowered, surrounded by a series of bracts similar to floral bract; floral bract oblong, obtuse, 1-2 x ca. 1 mm, glabrous, but margin bearing a few black glandular-fimbriae 0.2-0.3 mm long; pedicel thin, 6-9 mm long, glabrous or obscurely puberulent, deciduously glandular-fimbriate as floral bract; bracteoles basal, oblong to aristate, obtuse to acuminate, respectively, 1-1.5 x 0.3-0.5 mm, margin glandular-fimbriate as floral bract. Flowers with calyx continuous with pedicel, the calyx 4-5.5 mm long, inconspicuously glandular-fimbriate; hypanthium campanulate to turbinate, 2.7-3.5 mm long, narrowly and inconspicuously winged with wings ca. 0.3 mm broad, glabrous or white puberulent; limb erect, 1-1.5 mm long, white puberulent; lobes inconspicuous, ovate-denticulate, hardly 0.5 mm long; sinuses obtuse or flat, ciliolate; corolla thin-carnose, 5-angled, slightly winged (0.2 mm broad), 19-22 mm long and ca. 4 mm diam., red basally and bright green distally, glabrous or obscurely puberulent, glabrate, the lobes reflexed, oblong, ca. 1.5 mm long; stamen equalling corolla; filaments (slightly) connate in proximal half, 3-4 mm long, margins obscurely puberulent; anthers 16.5-19 mm long; thecae smooth, 8-11 mm long; tubules 7.5-9 mm long, slightly shorter than thecae, dehiscing through clefts ca. 2 mm long; style slightly exserted, glabrous. Berry not seen.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador and known only from 5 collections; rainforest and premontane forest, at 500-1400 m altitude.
Species Description - Lianoid, climbing, epiphytic shrub with branches to 4 m long; stem and twigs subterete, bluntly angled, sinuous, nitid, glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, oblong-elliptic, 15-32 x 4-13 cm, base obtuse or narrowing and cuneate, apex narrowing, caudate-acuminate to ca. 25 mm long or abruptly aucte, margin inconspicuously recurved, glabrous on both surfaces, but obscurely and sparsely glandular-fimbriate beneath; 5-7-plinerved, the inner pair of lateral nerves arising 3-9 cm above the base, midrib conspicuously thickened and raised to plane in the proximal 3-9 cm, impressed distally, lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets impressed above and raised beneath; petiole subterete, rugose, longitudinally ribbed, 6-12 mm long and 3-5 mm diam., glabrous. Inflorescence of pin-cushion type; rachis subterete, angled, thin, hardly 2-3 mm long and seemingly 1 (or maybe 2)-flowered, surrounded by a series of bracts similar to floral bract; floral bract oblong, obtuse, 1-2 x ca. 1 mm, glabrous, but margin bearing a few black glandular-fimbriae 0.2-0.3 mm long; pedicel thin, 6-9 mm long, glabrous or obscurely puberulent, deciduously glandular-fimbriate as floral bract; bracteoles basal, oblong to aristate, obtuse to acuminate, respectively, 1-1.5 x 0.3-0.5 mm, margin glandular-fimbriate as floral bract. Flowers with calyx continuous with pedicel, the calyx 4-5.5 mm long, inconspicuously glandular-fimbriate; hypanthium campanulate to turbinate, 2.7-3.5 mm long, narrowly and inconspicuously winged with wings ca. 0.3 mm broad, glabrous or white puberulent; limb erect, 1-1.5 mm long, white puberulent; lobes inconspicuous, ovate-denticulate, hardly 0.5 mm long; sinuses obtuse or flat, ciliolate; corolla thin-carnose, 5-angled, slightly winged (0.2 mm broad), 19-22 mm long and ca. 4 mm diam., red basally and bright green distally, glabrous or obscurely puberulent, glabrate, the lobes reflexed, oblong, ca. 1.5 mm long; stamen equalling corolla; filaments (slightly) connate in proximal half, 3-4 mm long, margins obscurely puberulent; anthers 16.5-19 mm long; thecae smooth, 8-11 mm long; tubules 7.5-9 mm long, slightly shorter than thecae, dehiscing through clefts ca. 2 mm long; style slightly exserted, glabrous. Berry not seen.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador and known only from 5 collections; rainforest and premontane forest, at 500-1400 m altitude.
Discussion:
Conservation status: Rare and endangered.
Conservation status: Rare and endangered.
Common Names:
wasca sisa
wasca sisa