Taxon Details: Ceratostema megalobum Luteyn
Taxon Profile:
The Plant List
International Plant Name Index
Tropicos
Catalogue of Life
Global Biodiversity Information Facility
JSTOR Types
JSTOR
BHL
Encyclopedia of Life
WikiSpecies
Google Scholar
PubMed
Morphbank
IUCN
National Center for Biotechnology Information
Barcode of Life
Multimedia:

Narratives:

Family:

Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:

Ceratostema megalobum Luteyn
Primary Citation:

Fl. Ecuador 54: 221. 1996
Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.
Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Isotype -- H. H. van der Werff
Description:

Description: Epiphytic shrub arising from lignotuber; stem terete to subterete, bluntly ribbed, glabrous, the bark cracking longitudinally; twigs subterete, complanate and bluntly angled, striate, glabrous; bud scales narrowly ovate, acuminate, 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous. Leaves subcoriaceous, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, (2.6-)4-6 x (-0.5)1-2 cm, base obtuse to broadly cuneate and short-attenuate, apex acuminate or acute, margin slightly revolute, glabrous; pinnately-nerved with 2-3 pairs of ascending-arcuate nerves, midrib impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves inconspicuous, slightly raised on both surfaces, reticulate veinlets unnoticed above and obscurely slightly raised beneath; petiole subterete, slightly winged, rugose, 3-10 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence solitary, axillary, racemose, (1-)2-4(-5)-flowered, surrounded at base by few, ovate, acute, glabrous bracts ca. 2 mm long; rachis subterete, striate to ribbed, 1-1.5(-4) cm long, glabrous; floral bract ovate, acute to acuminate, 2-5 mm long, margin ciliolate and glandular-fimbriate; pedicel subterete, ribbed, 17-25 mm long, glabrous; bracteoles nearly basal, similar to floral bract but 2-4 mm long. Flowers with calyx articulate, 28-35 mm long at anthesis, glabrous; hypanthium somewhat campanulate, sharply 5-winged, 5-6 mm long; limb erect-spreading, strongly veined, rugose, 23-30 mm long; lobes triangular, long-acuminate, 19-25 x ca. 7 mm, eglandular; sinuses acute; corolla cylindric, expanding slightly distally, apparently terete, 40-45 mm long and 6-8 basal diam., glabrous, red (fide label), the lobes triangular, acute, 8-9 mm long, the margin pale red (fide label); stamens (from corolla 40 mm long) 10, alternately slightly unequal, 36.5-37.5 mm long; filaments distinct, ca. 4 mm long, glabrous; anthers nearly equal, 34.5-35 mm long; thecae alternately slightly unequal, 10-11.5 mm long; tubules connate in proximal half, longer than thecae, ca. 25 mm long, dehiscing by oblique pores ca. 1 mm long; style shortly exserted, glabrous. Berry not seen.

Distribution: Endemic to Ecuador, and known only from five collections; disturbed montane cloud forest and dry scrub at 2700-2950 m altitude. Rare and probably endangered.

Type: Ecuador. Loja: ca. 10 km SW of Loja, along rd past University towards La Violeta, 2950 m, 26 Apr 1987 (fl), van der Werff & Palacios 9091 (holotype, AAU; isotypes, MO, NY).

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Ceratostema megalobum Luteyn: [Article] 1996. Fl. Ecuador. 54: 221.