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Family:

Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Phytologia 1: 210. 1937

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Holotype -- A. F. Skutch

Description:

Description: Terrestrial shrub to 3 m tall, glabrous throughout; stem base 2.5-5 cm in diam.; mature branches terete, pendant, tan or reddish; twigs terete or bluntly angled, minutely striate, tan. Leaves oblong, ovate-elliptic, or oblong-elliptic, (8-)10-15(-20) x (3-)3.5-5-(-7) cm, basally rounded or obtuse, rarely subcordate, apically acuminate; 5(-7)-plinerved, midrib impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves impressed above but outer ones becoming plane distally, raised beneath, veinlets raised and conspicuous above, slightly raised but obscure beneath; petioles subterete, slightly rugose, 6-10 mm long and 1.5-2.5 mm in diam. Inflorescence cylindric with 13-32 tightly congested, imbricate flowers, encircled at base by few, early caducous bracts; rachis coarsely angled, minutely striate, 3-6.5 cm long, green when fresh but drying tan; floral bracts smooth, tightly appressed to and covering calyx and lower half of corolla at anthesis, persisting to fruit, concave, semiorbicular to broadly oval, 10-17 x 11-15 mm, basally truncate, apically rounded or acute, marginally scarious and glandular-fimbriate these soon caducous, glabrous but with few, minute, scattered, redddish, glandular fimbriae adaxially, pink to dark red; pedicels swollen at both ends, 2 mm long at anthesis (lengthening to 6 mm long after anthesis) and 1.5-3 mm in diam., with cartilaginous teeth at distal tip, green when fresh but drying tan; bracteoles basal, often keeled, slightly imbricate at base, clasping lower half of hypanthium, oblong to subrotund, 4.5-5 x (3-)4-6 mm at anthesis becoming to 8 x 9 mm prior to fruiting, basally truncate and somewhat auriculate, apically rounded and often apiculate, marginally glandular-fimbriate, pink to dark red. Flowers: calyx 7-9.5 mm long at anthesis, green when fresh, with scattered minute, reddish, glandular fimbriae; hypanthium obconic to hemispheric, bluntly 5-angled, slightly rugose, 2.5-3 mm long, nonapophysate; limb erect or spreading, 4-6.5 mm olong; lobes basally imbricate, oblong, 3-5.5 x 3-5 mm, connivent and tightly enclosing style after anthesis, apically rounded or emarginate and usually apiculate, margins scarious bearing caducous glandular fimbriae, pink when fresh; corolla bottle-shaped, swollen basally but narrowed to throat, 13-17 mm long and ca. 8 mm in diam. at broadest point, dark pink basally and white apically, lobes oblong or triangular, 1.5 x 1 mm, white; stamens 9.5-11 mm long; filaments alternately 2-3 mm and 3.5-5 mm long; anthers alternately 8-9 mm and 7-8 mm long; thecae 2.5-3.5 mm long; style 14-15 mm long. Mature berry not seen.

Distribution: Endemic to Costa Rica, to a small area of the Cordillera de Talamanca north of the General Valley (San José Prov.), in roadside thickets, at elevations of 1580-1900 m.

Type: Costa Rica. San José: Vicinity of El General, 1560 m, Dec 1936 (fl), Skutch 2991 (holotype, NY, photo DUKE, NY neg. 9801; isotypes, GH, K, MO, US).

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Cavendishia confertiflora A.C.Sm.: [Article] Luteyn, James L. 1983. Ericaceae--part I. Cavendishia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 1-290.
Cavendishia confertiflora A.C.Sm.: [Article] Luteyn, James L. 1976. A revision of the Mexican Central American species of Cavendishia (Vacciniaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 28 (3): 1-138.