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Family:

Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 28: 418. 1932

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Type Specimens:

Specimen 1: Holotype fragment -- É. André

Common Names:

flor de duende

Description:

Description: Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub with branches to 3 m tall; stem terete, striate to slightly ribbed, nitid, reddish-brown, glabrous; twigs similar but often complanate and bluntly angled, sometimes puberulent. Leaves thick-coriaceous, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 10-15 x 4-9 cm, base broadly cuneate to obtuse and shortly decurrent, apex acute to abruptly short-acuminate, glabrous but with deciduous, minute glandular fimbriae ca. 0.2 mm long on both surfaces; pinnately nerved with 3-4 main lateral nerves per side, or sometimes appearing 5-7-plinerved, midrib raised and conspicuously thickened in proximal one-third, then raised for proximal two-thirds above and then slightly impressed towards tip, lateral nerves and reticulate veinlets impressed above, all nerves raised and conspicuous beneath; petiole subterete, winged, rugose, very stout, 5-11 mm long and to 5 mm diam., glabrous. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 5-10-flowered, often 2-3 rachises arising from same node; rachis angled, striate, nitid, nodes conspicuously raised, 1-3 cm long, glabrous or puberulent; floral bract caducous, oblong, acute, 2.5 x 2 mm, glabrous or puberulent; pedicel subterete, angled to ribbed, striate, 22-45 mm long, glabrous or puberulent; bracteoles located near base, oblong to ovate, rounded to acute, keeled, 1.5-3 mm long and broad, margin scarious, sometimes imbricate and fused around pedicel, ciliolate, sometimes also marginally glandular-fimbriate. Flowers with calyx articulate, 7-11 mm long, glabrous or puberulent; hypanthium rugose, 2-5 mm long, the base apophysate; limb cylindric-spreading, 4-7 mm long; lobes minute, apiculate, triangular, less than 1 mm long; sinuses rounded to flat; corolla cylindric, terete, 25-31 mm long and to 11 mm diam., white to pink (to red with age), glabrous or puberulent, the lobes triangular, acute, ca. 2 mm long; stamens 25-26 mm long, often pushing through apex of bud prior to anthesis; filaments distinct, 4-5 mm long, glabrous; anthers 22-23 mm long; thecae 13-14 mm long, difficult to distinguish from tubules, the base long-mucronate; tubules laterally connate and distinct only in distal 4-5 mm, 9-10 mm long, dehiscing by clefts 6-9 mm long; style slightly exserted. Berry not seen.

Distribution: Southern Colombia and N Ecuador; tropical moist forest, premontane wet forest, lower montane rainforest, to montane cloud forest, at 900-2560 m altitude.

Type: Colombia. Nariño: Near Barbacoas, André 3028 (holotype, K, fragment ex K at NY, photo ACS neg. 83).

Local names: Ecuador: flor del duende.

Uses: Ecuador: to cure evil spells (Rubio et al. 1583). Visited by the hummingbirds Adelomyia melanogenys, Aglaiocercus coelestis, Boissonneaua jardini, and Coeligena wilsoni (fide Bleiweiss 1057).

Cultivated: ABG, NY.

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Thibaudia andrei A.C.Sm.: [Article] 1932. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 28: 418.