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Family:

Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Pl. Hartw. 225. 1846

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Common Names:

misijallo, pasa, chigunda

Description:

Description: Erect shrub, sometimes scrambling, (0.3-)1-2 m tall; mature stems terete, striate, weakly puberulent but glabrate, appressed-strigose (or hairs sometimes spreading) with straight, basally swollen, ± tan to golden, eglandular hairs to 2 mm long; bark reddish-brown; twigs subterete, complanate, striate, puberulent and strigose as on mature stems; buds ovate, complanate, scales marginally ciliolate, otherwise glabrous, reddish-brown. Leaves coriaceous, surface somewhat to strongly bullate, ovate, (3-)5-10(-13) x (1.5-) 2.5-4(-7.5) cm, base rounded sometimes subcordate, apex acuminate, margin crenate with each tooth terminating in a usually persistent, long-setose hair 2.5-3 mm long, plane to slightly incurved, blade glabrous or sparingly short-white-tomentose along basal 1/4 of midrib above, strigose beneath especially along veins, with appressed hairs to 2.3 mm long (glabrate); midrib and lateral nerves (3-4 per side) impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, reticulate veinlets plane to weakly impressed above and raised beneath; petiole subterete, flattened and canaliculate above, (3-)5-7 mm long, strigose and also weakly puberulent above. Inflorescence racemose, (2-)7-12(-17)-flowered, with 6-8 decussate, sterile bracts at base; rachis subterete, angled, striate, 2-4(-5) cm long, weakly to moderately hirsute with straight to crisped hairs to 0.5 mm long and also densely to weakly white puberulent; pedicels subterete, striate, 4-10 mm long, hirsute and also puberulent as on rachis; bracteoles basal, continuous with and clasping pedicel, ovate, keeled, 2-3 x 2-2.2 mm, acuminate, glabrous or short-pilose distally along rib (also strigose along rib without), glabrous to distally pilose within, ciliolate; floral bract apparently continuous with rachis, ovate, keeled, ca. 3.5-6 x 2-2.5 mm, acuminate, indumentum as on bracteoles. Flowers with calyx glabrous (except lobe margins), 4-4.2 mm long, lobes ovate, (2.8-)3-3.2 x 1.5-2.2 mm, long-acuminate, ciliolate, glabrous within; corolla cylindric-urceolate, nearly terete to bluntly 5-angled, 4.5-7 x 3.5-5.5 mm, glabrous (with a few strigose hairs without), red when fresh, lobes oblong-ovate, acute to obtuse, whitish; stamens 3.2-4 mm long; filaments 2.7-3 mm long, glabrous or sparsely pilose along margins; anthers 1-1.5 mm long, awns minute; ovary pilose or glabrous; style ca. 3 mm long, glabrous. Fruiting calyx 7-12 mm diam., glabrous, white with pink tint, somewhat translucent. Chromosome number: n=11, 2n=22 (Luteyn et al. 8789).

Distribution: Widespread in Colombia and Ecuador on relatively open, steep slopes of cloud forest, and subpáramo to páramo thickets at elevations of (1800-)2200-3200 m. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year.

Type: Ecuador. Pichincha: Between Quito and Machachi, Hartweg 1229 (holotype, K, photo NY s.n., frag. NY; isotypes, B, destroyed, photo NY s.n., frag. F, G, photo F neg. 26626, K, LD, OXF).

Common names: Ecuador: misijallo (Pichincha)

Uses: The fruits are said to be edible (fide Acosta-Solís 14671).

Cultivated: E.

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Gaultheria insipida Benth.: [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.