Taxon Details: Lyonia nipensis Urb.
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Narratives:

Family:

Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:

Lyonia nipensis Urb.
Primary Citation:

Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 22: 47. 1925
Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.
Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Isotype -- E. L. Ekman
Description:

Description: Evergreen shrub to ca. 2 m tall, with grayish(?), longitudinally furrowed bark; twigs moderately angled, slender, sparsely to moderately lepidote, otherwise densely to sparsely pubescent; buds ovoid, 0.7-1.8 x 0.5-1.1 mm. Leaf blades ovate to slightly obovate or nearly orbicular, 0.9-4.5(-6) x 0.4-3(-3.5) cm, ± flat or strongly recurved, often strongly coriaceous, ca. 0.35-0.55 mm thick; base cuneate to rounded or slightly cordate; apex rounded or truncate to obtuse or acute; margin plane to very strongly revolute, apical portion entire to sinuous, basal portion entire; venation brochidodromous, 3o veins ± reticulate; adaxial surface lepidote but scales usually quickly deciduous, densely to sparsely pubescent on midvein, especially basal portion, the 2o and higher order veins visible to obscure, the 2o veins slightly raised to strongly depressed; abaxial surface moderately lepidote, otherwise usually densely pubescent (sparsely pubescent near margin or apex), the 3o and higher order veins ± flat or nearly so, slightly and laxly reticulate to obscure, the 2o veins slightly raised to obscure; scales rust colored, often becoming whitish with age, deciduous or persistent, ca. 0.12-0.37 mm in diameter, erose to entire, sometimes of 2 distinct types; petiole 1.5-7.5 mm long, lepidote, otherwise pubescent all around or less commonly only adaxially; flower buds ± intermixed with vegetative buds. Inflorescences fasciculate, ca. 1- to 10-flowered; pedicels clearly to only weakly articulated with calyx, slender, 4-15(-20) mm long, lepidote, with scales orange to deeply orange-red, or brownish, otherwise sparsely to densely pubescent; bracteoles subopposite to alternate, basal or nearly so, narrowly triangular, 0.4-1.5 mm long; floral bracts to ca. 2 mm long. Flowers (4-)5-(-6)-merous; calyx lobes triangular, with acuminate to acute apices, 1-3(-4) x 0.8-2 mm, adaxial side often sparsely lepidote near margins, otherwise sparsely pubescent, especially near apex, abaxial side moderately to densely lepidote, otherwise glabrous to sparsely pubescent, especially near base; corolla long-urceolate, white to pink, especially toward mouth, 3.5-8 x 3-4.7 mm, abaxially ± densely lepidote, causing flowers to appear yellowish or golden; filaments roughened, 2-4 mm long, usually with very short spurs near anther-filament junction; anthers 1-1.6 mm long; ovary lepidote, otherwise pubescent, placentae ± subapical. Capsules ovoid, usually with straight-sided valves, 4-9 x 4-7 mm, lepidote, otherwise sparsely to densely pubescent, especially near base or on sutures, the pale, very thick sutures separating as unit from adjacent valves; seeds 2-2.7 mm long.

Distribution: Endemic to Cuba (Prov. Oriente), in thickets, serpentine barrens, and open forests of Pinus cubensis in the Sierra de Nipe, Sierra de Cristal, Sierra de Moa, Sierra de Toa, on Monte Libano, and on plateau near Moa, at ca. 300-1000 m elev.

Type: Cuba. Oriente: Sierra de Nipe, nr. Río Piedra, 24 Jul 1914, Ekman 2156 (holotype, S; isotypes, NY, S).

Key to the Varieties of Lyonia nipensis: Leaf blades ± flat, the margins usually at most slightly revolute, the midvein not, or only slightly, depressed and secondary veins not depressed, the abaxial surface usually with irregular margined and usually deciduous scales only; petiole (2.5-)3-7.5 mm long; northern Oriente, from Sierra de Nipe to plateau near Moa ................... var. nipensis Leaf blades strongly recurved, the margins often strongly revolute, the midvein and secondary veins depressed, often strongly so, the abaxial surface with irregular margined and deciduous, and smaller, ± entire margined, and persistent scales; petiole 1.5-4 mm long; Sierra de Moa and Sierra de Toa ................ var. depressinerva

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Lyonia nipensis Urb.: [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.