Taxon Details: Comarostaphylis discolor (Hook.) Diggs
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Narratives:

Family:

Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:

Comarostaphylis discolor (Hook.) Diggs
Primary Citation:

Taxon 31: 725. 1982
Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.
Description:

Description: Erect to spreading evergreen shrubs to small trees to 1-10 m tall; bark peeling or flaking, reddish-brown to brown or gray; young twigs glabrous and usually glaucous, or tomentulose to tomentose, often red or reddish-purple. Leaves coriaceous, lanceolate to elliptic or oblong-elliptic, plane or slightly revolute, (1.4-)3.7-15.3 x (0.2-)1.1-5.4 cm, basally tapering to cuneate, apically acute, marginally serrulate to serrate or serrate-dentate, rarely subentire, upper surface glabrous, green and shining, or with slight pubescence and somewhat dull, lower surface glabrous, often very glaucous, or tomentulose to ferruginously tomentose; petioles 6-19 mm long, glabrous and often glaucous, or tomentulose to tomentose, often red or reddish-purple. Inflorescences racemose, the racemes clustered, or paniculate, to 3.5-15 cm long, glabrous or tomentulose to tomentose or glancular hirsute, trichomes glandular or not; floral bracts lanceolate to ovate, navicular to carubate, acuminate, (1.3-)2.5-8.2(-14) x 1.9-3.3 mm, often ciliate; pedicels 2.5-13 mm long; bracteoles basal to medial, acicular to lanceolate, (1.1-) 1.6-3.7 mm long, often ciliate. Flowers: calyx lobes triangular or ovate-triangular, (1-)1.4-3.1 x 1-2.2 mm, acute to acuminate, glabrous or pubescent, trichomes glandular or not, often ciliate; corolla cream or white or pink, (4.5-)4.9-8.6 x (3.7-)4.9-6.9 mm, glabrous or with hyaline trichomes, the lobes 0.9-1.7 x (1.4-)1.7-2.3 mm; stamens 2.5-3.7 mm long; filaments 2.3-3.3 mm long, villous; anthers 1-1.8 x 0.7-1 mm, the spurs 0.3-0.8 mm long; ovary glabrous; style 2.4-3.7 mm long, glabrous. Fruit (5-) 6-8 mm in diam., red when immature, dark purple to black at maturity; seeds 1.9-2.6 x 1.2-1.4 mm, surface reticulate.

Distribution: Central Mexico, from Jalisco east to Hidalgo and Veracruz, and south through the mountains of Oaxaca and the central highlands of Chiapas into E Guatemala, in open or disturbed areas or in the understory of mesic montane forests, at 1850-3300 (-3900) m. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Cultivated: E (which subspecies is unknown).

Key to Subspecies of Comarostaphylis discolor: 1. Leaves glabrous below; petioles and young twigs glabrous; inflorescences glabrous or with glandular trichomes; Jalisco across Mexico to Guatemala.     2. Largest leaves typically 7 cm or more long and 2 cm or more wide;inflorescences glabrous or with glandular trichomes; Jalisco across Mexico to Guatemala .................... subsp. discolor     2. Largest leaves typically 7 cm or less long and 2 cm or less wide, often much smaller; inflorescences glabrous; Sierra de Tapalpa, Jalisco ............... subsp. macvaughii 1. Leaves tomentulose to tomentose below; petioles and young twigs tomentulose to tomentose; inflorescences with eglandular or glandular trichomes; Michoacán to Jalisco.     3. Inflorescences with glandular trichomes; Jalisco .............. subsp. manantlanensis     3. Inflorescences tomentulose to tomentose, the trichomes always eglandular; Michoacán ............. subsp. rupestris

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Comarostaphylis discolor (Hook.) Diggs: [Article] Luteyn, James L., et al. 1995. Ericaceae, Part II. The Superior-Ovaried Genera (Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Rhododendroideae, and Vaccinioideae P.P.). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 66: 560.