Taxon Details: Psammisia oppositiflora Luteyn
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Family:
Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:
Psammisia oppositiflora Luteyn
Psammisia oppositiflora Luteyn
Primary Citation:
Brittonia 33(3): 377. 1981
Brittonia 33(3): 377. 1981
Accepted Name:
This name is currently accepted.
This name is currently accepted.
Description:
Description: Epiphytic vine; mature stems terete, minutely striate, glabrous, grayish-brown when dry; immature stems and twigs of new growth subterete or flattened, striate, glabrous, tan when dry. Leaves coriaceous, opposite or subopposite, clasping the stem (slightly amplexicaul), oblong, elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 12-25 x 5-9 cm, basally rounded and auriculate, apically acuminate, bright green when fresh but becoming brown to somewhat flesh-colored when dry, glabrous; pinnately veined, the midrib thickened and slightly elevated in proximal half becoming thin and plane to slightly impressed in distal half above, raised and conspicuous beneath, lateral nerves 5-8 per side, anastomosing near margins, impressed above and raised beneath, veinlets impressed above and slightly raised beneath; petiole ca. 2 mm long, glabrous, difficult to distinguish. Inflorescences 1-3 in axils of fallen leaves, racemose, 6-flowered; rachis subterete or sharply angled, striate, glabrous, ca. 1 cm long and 1-1.5 mm in diam.; floral bracts persistent, ovate, ca. 2 mm long and broad, marginally with a few tiny glandular fimbriae, and with a few short-tufted hairs at apex; pedicels decussate, subterete, striate, glabrous, 15-18 x 1 mm; bracteoles located two-thirds up the pedicel, similar to floral bracts but 1.5 mm long and broad. Flowers with calyx glabrous, 4.5-5.5 mm long, red when fresh; hypanthium campanulate, strongly rugose, 3-4.5 mm long and 4-5 mm in diam. at apex; limb short-cylindric, 1-1.5 mm long including apiculate lobes; sinuses flat; corolla cylindric when fresh but conspicuously constricted in the distal half after drying, 13-15 mm long, glabrous but with scttered glandular fimbriae in the distal half, yellowish-green with pale or whitish-green lobes, each lobe with a short, red streak over a slightly thickened area in middle of lobe, the lobes triangular, 1.5 mm long, slightly spreading at anthesis; stamens 10, ca. 7 mm long; filaments distinct, densely short-pilose in distal half, ca. 1.5 mm long, slightly widened at base; alternate connectives conspicuously thickened; anthers 6-6.5 mm long including tubules; thecae strongly granular; tubules conically narrowed to apex, 1-1.5 mm long, dehiscent nearly along entire length; style exserted at anthesis, ca. 18 mm long. Berry not seen.
Distribution: Known only from the type locality, exactly along the Panama-Colombia border, at 1400-1500 m.
Type: Colombia. Chocó: Top of Serranía del Darién, exactly on the frontier with Panama, NE of Cerro Mali, lower montane wet forest, 1400-1500 m, 24 Jul 1976 (fl), A. Gentry, H. León & L. Forero 16996 (holotype, NY; isotypes, COL, MO).
Conservation Status: Rare and endangered.
Description: Epiphytic vine; mature stems terete, minutely striate, glabrous, grayish-brown when dry; immature stems and twigs of new growth subterete or flattened, striate, glabrous, tan when dry. Leaves coriaceous, opposite or subopposite, clasping the stem (slightly amplexicaul), oblong, elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 12-25 x 5-9 cm, basally rounded and auriculate, apically acuminate, bright green when fresh but becoming brown to somewhat flesh-colored when dry, glabrous; pinnately veined, the midrib thickened and slightly elevated in proximal half becoming thin and plane to slightly impressed in distal half above, raised and conspicuous beneath, lateral nerves 5-8 per side, anastomosing near margins, impressed above and raised beneath, veinlets impressed above and slightly raised beneath; petiole ca. 2 mm long, glabrous, difficult to distinguish. Inflorescences 1-3 in axils of fallen leaves, racemose, 6-flowered; rachis subterete or sharply angled, striate, glabrous, ca. 1 cm long and 1-1.5 mm in diam.; floral bracts persistent, ovate, ca. 2 mm long and broad, marginally with a few tiny glandular fimbriae, and with a few short-tufted hairs at apex; pedicels decussate, subterete, striate, glabrous, 15-18 x 1 mm; bracteoles located two-thirds up the pedicel, similar to floral bracts but 1.5 mm long and broad. Flowers with calyx glabrous, 4.5-5.5 mm long, red when fresh; hypanthium campanulate, strongly rugose, 3-4.5 mm long and 4-5 mm in diam. at apex; limb short-cylindric, 1-1.5 mm long including apiculate lobes; sinuses flat; corolla cylindric when fresh but conspicuously constricted in the distal half after drying, 13-15 mm long, glabrous but with scttered glandular fimbriae in the distal half, yellowish-green with pale or whitish-green lobes, each lobe with a short, red streak over a slightly thickened area in middle of lobe, the lobes triangular, 1.5 mm long, slightly spreading at anthesis; stamens 10, ca. 7 mm long; filaments distinct, densely short-pilose in distal half, ca. 1.5 mm long, slightly widened at base; alternate connectives conspicuously thickened; anthers 6-6.5 mm long including tubules; thecae strongly granular; tubules conically narrowed to apex, 1-1.5 mm long, dehiscent nearly along entire length; style exserted at anthesis, ca. 18 mm long. Berry not seen.
Distribution: Known only from the type locality, exactly along the Panama-Colombia border, at 1400-1500 m.
Type: Colombia. Chocó: Top of Serranía del Darién, exactly on the frontier with Panama, NE of Cerro Mali, lower montane wet forest, 1400-1500 m, 24 Jul 1976 (fl), A. Gentry, H. León & L. Forero 16996 (holotype, NY; isotypes, COL, MO).
Conservation Status: Rare and endangered.