Authority:

Pedraza-Peñalosa, Paola. 2010. (Ericaceae, Vaccinieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 108: 1-126. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family:

Ericaceae

Description:

Species Description - Terrestrial shrubs, scandent or erect, to 1.3–1.5 m tall. Young branchlets ridged, ± smooth, generally glabrous or glabrate, the hairs inconspicuous, eglandular, and white, the indumentum of the mature branches similar. Leaves 1–2(–3) per cm, spirally arranged, sometimes appearing secund, diffuse; petiole 3–5 mm long, glabrous or glabrate, the hairs eglandular; lamina obovate or elliptic, (1.6–)2.2–4.5 × (0.9–)1.3–2.7 cm, basally attenuate, marginally entire, sometimes revolute, apically ciliolate with eglandular hairs, apically obtuse and apiculate, adaxially and abaxially glabrate with minute and deciduous eglandular and glandular hairs, the venation 3- or 5-nerved on both sides, the midvein adaxially impressed and abaxially raised. Inflorescences axillary, 2–11-flowered fascicles, sometimes flowers appearing solitary due to asynchrony of floral bud development; bracts 2–3, chartaceous, ovate, 0.5–1.7 × 0.5–2.5 mm, marginally eciliate, apically obtuse, abaxially glabrous; pedicel 0.5–1.5 mm long, reduced and hidden by overlapping bracts, glabrous; differentiated apical bracteoles green, 2, distinct, chartaceous, enveloping the base of calyx tube or entire calyx tube, covering 39–50(–85)% of calyx, suborbicular or transverse-elliptic or reniform, 2.2–3.2 × 3.7–4 mm, occasionally ciliolate with minute eglandular hairs, apically obtuse, the surface smooth, abaxially glabrous, adaxially glabrous. Flowers 5-merous (rarely calyces 4- and 6-lobed). Calyx aestivation valvate, cylindric, 3.3–4 mm long; tube terete, 2–2.1 mm long, abaxially glabrous; limb 1.4–2.1 mm long, abaxially and adaxially glabrous; lobes triangular, 0.3–0.5 × 0.5–1 mm, marginally eciliate, apically acute; sinuses rounded (U-shaped). Corolla pale pink or white, very thickfleshy, bistratose, urceolate (distally inflated), 5.2–6.4 mm long, 2.6–3.5 mm diam. (2–2.6 mm when dry), 1.8–2.2 mm wide at throat (1.5–1.8 mm when dry), abaxially glabrate with minute glandular hairs, adaxially puberulous even in the lobes; lobes 0.8–1 × 0.7–1 mm, apically acute, adaxially rugose. Stamens 10, 4–4.7 mm long, included; filaments distinct, straight, ± linear with parallel sides, 3.4–4 mm long, abaxially glabrous, adaxially pubescent distally; anthers distinct, papillae on both thecae and tubules, those on tubules minute; thecae 1.5–1.7 mm long, basally appendaged; tubules 2, distinct, 0.2–0.5 mm long, very reduced and hard to differentiate from thecae, dehiscing introrsely by a cleft that runs from tubule tip to theca base, 1.4– 1.5 mm long. Ovary 5-locular; style 4.5–5 mm long, included, micropapillose. Berry immature, white, ± spherical, the persistent calyx lobes erect or spreading, becoming succulent (at least at base), same color as berry; seeds with a mucilaginous coat, the embryo color unknown.

Distribution and Ecology - Disterigma hiatus is known from a small area at Serranía de los Paraguas (Valle del Cauca/Chocó), around Cerro del Inglés and on the road to San José del Palmar (Chocó) (Fig. 26). This plant grows in cloud forests at 1500–2100 m. Flowering in Apr, May, and Jul; fruiting in Apr, May, Jul, and Aug. Etymology. The species epithet comes from the Latin hio, which means opening or cleft, referring to the dehiscence of the anthers. The word hiatus is to be used instead of hiatum (as it appeared in the original description) because it is a noun and it is not to be declined.

Distribution:

Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Valle del Cauca Colombia South America|