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Family:

Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Nov. Gen. Sp. Pl. (Poeppig & Endlicher) 1: 4. pl. 8. 1935

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Isolectotype -- E. F. Poeppig

Description:

Description: Straggly, epiphytic or terrestrial shrubs or shrublets 0.1-0.6(-1) m tall with branches pendent to ascending, arching or scandent; stems terete to subterete, bluntly angled, striate, subrugose, glabrous to cinereous with eglandular hairs; twigs terete to subterete, bluntly angled, ribbed or striate, densely to moderately spreading puberulent with eglandular hairs, glabrate. Leaves subcoriaceous, surfaces sometimes wrinkled when dry, broadly elliptic, suborbicular, ovate, or ovate-lanceolate, (0.7 )1.5-3.5( 13) x (0.7 )1.5-2.5( 5) cm, base rounded, subcordate, obtusely cuneate, or broadly obtuse, apex obtuse or rounded to acute, sometimes shortly but bluntly acuminate, rarely sharply long-acuminate, margin slightly recurved, lamina sparsely and inconspicuously short-pilose on both surfaces with eglandular hairs, glabrate, also moderately short-pilose with glandular hairs ca. 0.1 mm long on both surfaces, these usually deciduous and appressed beneath; 3(-5) plinerved from base (rarely from just above base), midrib and lateral nerves usually conspicuous, weakly impressed above, sometimes plane apically, rarely thickened and raised to plane in proximal 1.5 cm, raised beneath but usually only midrib conspicuous, tertiary veinlets usually slightly raised but obscure on both surfaces; petiole terete, rugose, sometimes striate, 1-3(-3.5) mm long, glabrous to pilose. Inflorescences axillary, rarely in axils of fallen leaves, flowers solitary or in fascicles of 2-3, exceeding the subtending leaves or not; floral bract 1, ovate, obtuse to acute, ca. 0.2-0.5(-0.6) mm long, pilose; pedicel terete to subterete, (5 )10-25 mm long, glabrous or sparingly pilose with eglandular hairs, also often with scattered, appressed, glandular hairs; bracteoles 2, nearly basal or located just below middle of pedicel, subopposite, oblong to linear, ca. (0.2-) 0.4-0.5 mm long, pilose. Flowers 4-5-merous, haplostemonous or diplostemonous; calyx ca. (1-)2-4 mm long, usually moderately to densely pilose with whitish to grayish, eglandular hairs, occasionally sparingly so or glabrous, usually also with appressed glandular reddish hairs 0.1 mm long; tube subglobose to obconic or thickly fusiform to shortly cylindric, 1-2.4 mm long; limb erect to suberect, cylindric-campanulate or spreading, 0.5-1.6 mm long; lobes apiculate, triangular to deltate, acute, 0.2-0.8 mm long, glabrous or often with a tuft of hairs at the tip; sinuses rounded; corolla urceolate or cylindric-urceolate, 2-6( 12) mm long and 1-3(-5) mm diam., white or pinkish to bright red, glabrous to short-pubescent, sometimes only distally puberulous with eglandular (rarely glandular) hairs without, the lobes spreading to strongly reflexed but not exposing stamen tips at anthesis, narrowly triangular, or ovate to deltate, acute to obtuse, ca. (0.3-)0.6-1.3 mm long; stamens 4-5 or 8-10, equal in length, ca. (2.8-)6.5-8.7 mm long; filaments callose-thickened at base, sometimes geniculate, (1.2-)2-5.7 mm long, densely short-pilose ventrally, glabrous or glabrate; anthers ca. (1-)1.8-4 mm long; thecae ca. (0.6-)1-1.6 mm long, the base straight, with or without basal appendage; tubules distinct, about equaling thecae, ca. (0.6-)1.5-2.3 mm long, dehiscing by clefts 0.8-1.3 mm long; style slightly exserted, ca. 3-9.7 mm long. Berry spherical or subglobose to thickly fusiform, 3-15 mm diam., translucent white, white or lavender, pilose or glabrous; embryo color green.

Type: Peru. Cuchero [?], 1829 (fl, fr), Poeppig 1291 (holotype W!; isotypes B destroyed, F!, GH!, NY! ex W, P!). The P "isotype" lacks a collection number.

Distribution: Nicaragua to Bolivia and east into the Guianas; tropical wet to rainforest, premontane wet and rainforest, montane and elfin forest, at 200-1800(-3500) m altitude.

Cultivated: ACAD, E, HEID, U.

Conservation status: Least concern (LC).

Updates and other relevant taxonomic sources: Description updated on Jan 2013. For generic synopsis, keys, and evaluation of conservation status see Phytotaxa.

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Sphyrospermum buxifolium Poepp. & Endl.: [Article] 1935. Nov. Gen. Sp. Pl. (Poeppig & Endlicher). 1: 4. pl. 8.
Sphyrospermum buxifolium Poepp. & Endl.: [Article] Smith, Albert C. 1952. Plants collected in Ecuador by W. H. camp. Vaceiniaceae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (1): 41-85.
Sphyrospermum buxifolium Poepp. & Endl.: [Article] Maguire, Bassett. 1978. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part X. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 29: 1-288.