Luteyn, James L. 1976. A revision of the Mexican Central American species of Cavendishia (Vacciniaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 28 (3): 1-138.
Ericaceae
Species Description - Terrestrial shrub, glabrous throughout. Mature branches terete, striate, minutely rugose, brown to reddish-brown when dry; immature branches subterete, bluntly angled, striate, minutely rugose, light brown when dry. Petioles subterete, sometimes flattened adaxially, rugose, 4-10 mm long and 3-5.8 mm in diameter, light olive-brown to reddish-brown. Leaves very thickly coriaceous, lanceolate to lance-ovate, 11-16 cm long and 5-9 cm broad, basally short attenuate, somewhat decurrent, apically acute, somewhat cuspidate, margins entire and extremelytightly revolute, olive- to light greenish-brown when dry; 5-7-plinerved, midrib and lateral nerves weakly impressed above, sometimes becoming slightly elevated distally, veinlets raised and conspicuous above, nerves raised and conspicuous beneath, or with veinlets sometimes obscure. Infiorescence 9-15 flowered; rachis stout, bluntly and coarsely angled, white-speckled, ribbed, rugose, about 3-4 cm long and 4-5 mm in diameter at base, cream-pink (according to label data). Floral bracts smooth, marginally glandular-fimbriate, elliptic, concave, 14-20 mm long and 11-12 mm broad, basally cuneate and truncate, apically rounded. Pedicels becoming wider distally, striate, 3.5-7.5 mm long and 1.5-2.5 mm in diameter. Bracteoles oblong, marginally glandular-fimbriate, 2-3 mm long and 2 mm broad. Calyx 9-11 mm long, with short, stout, reddish, glandular fimbriae on tube when immature; tube cylindric to barrel-shaped, 4-5 mm long and 4.5-5.5 mm in diameter, non-apophysate; limb cylindric, smooth, 5-6.5 mm long including lobes; lobes oblong to broadly triangular, marginally densely glandularfimbriate when young, soon caducous, mature margins dark red, appearing thinner than main body of limb, 2-2.5 mm long and 2.5-3 mm broad; sinus acute. Corolla immature. Style persistent, 10-11 mm long. Mature berry not seen. Phenology: In bud and early fruit in June.
Cavendishia revoluta is only known from the type collections, and is seemingly a very distinct taxon. The most outstanding feature seems to be the overall coarse appearance, exemplified by the very thick, hard leaves with very tightiy revolute margins. According to label data {Foster ^ Kennedy 1906), the leaves have the "distinct smell of wintergreen." To my knowledge, this odor is otherwise found only in C. quereme form Costa Rica and Colombia. This is especially interesting to note because the morphological features ofthe only avaUable flower (which is immature) are not unlike those of C. quereme. Also, the persistent styles would indicate that C. revoluta has a corolla about 1 cm long (similar in length to C. quereme). Although the present study shows C. revoluta cladistically related to C. complectens and C. confertifiora, without mature inflorescences nothing definite can be stated concerning the relationships of C. revoluta.
Type: Panama. Province of Panama. Near the top of Cerro Jefe, 900 m , Foster ^ Kennedy 1906 (Holotype: DUKE!).
Panama Central America|