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Family:

Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 12: 281. 1935

Accepted Name:

This name is currently accepted.

Description:

Description: Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub with arching or lianoid branches to 6 m long; stem terete to subterete, striate, glabrous or puberulent; bark grayish; twigs terete to complanate and bluntly angled, striate, glabrous or puberulent; bud scales lanceolate, long-acuminate, ca. 2-4 mm long, pilose. Leaves coriaceous, sometimes bullate, elliptic- to ovate-lanceolate to oblong-ovate, 6-12 x (2.5-)3-5 cm, base rounded, obtuse to narrowly rounded or attenuate and decurrent onto petiole, apex short-acuminate to acute, margin entire or distally remotely crenate, flat or slightly revolute especially in the proximal half, glabrous or hispidulous along nerves beneath; 5-7-plinerved from the base or inner lateral nerves arising ca. 1.5--3 cm above base, midrib often conspicuously thickened and raised in the proximal 1-2 cm, then thin and plane to impressed distally above, raised beneath, lateral nerves slightly to deeply impressed above and prominently raised beneath, reticulate veinlets obscure, plane to weakly impressed above and slightly raised beneath; petiole subterete, somewhat flattened above, rugose, sometimes winged, 1-6 mm long and 2 mm diam., glabrous or puberulent. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, (3-)4-12-flowered, often surrounded at the base by ovate-deltate, acute, glabrous bracts to 3 mm long; rachis subterete, often bluntly angled, striate or ribbed, glabrous to puberulous, (1-)3-10 cm long and 3-4 mm diam.; floral bract usually early deciduous, ovate, acuminate, 2-6(-10) x ca. 2(-5) mm (sometimes leaf-like and 41 x 16 mm); pedicel subterete, angled to striate, rugose, 12-26 mm long and 2 mm diam. (lengthening to 40 mm after anthesis), glabrous or puberulous; bracteoles located near base or middle, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acuminate to long-acuminate, sometimes conspicuously veined, 3-6(-10) mm long (sometimes leaf-like and to 27 mm long), sometimes marginally sparsely glandular-fimbriate. Flowers with calyx articulate, ca. 13-27 mm long, glabrous or puberulent with pale hairs ca. 0.2 mm long (all calyx dimensions subject to elongation post anthesis); hypanthium subcylindric-obconic, conspicuously broadly and bluntly 10-costate, 4-6 mm long and 3-4 mm diam.; limb erect-spreading, 9-21 mm long; lobes elongate-triangular to ovate-lanceolate, acute to long-acuminate, 8-19 x 4-5 mm at anthesis (to 34 x 7 mm after anthesis), margin weakly ciliolate and also glandular-fimbriate with stout, pointed hairs, also sometimes each lobe bearing dorsally near base 1-2 circular, concave, blackish glands ca. 0.2--0.3 mm diam.; sinuses acute; corolla thick-carnose, cylindric, broadly pentagonal, the base ventricose, 35-42(-52) long and 6-10(-20) mm basal diam., glabrous to densely short-pilose, the lobes spreading, lanceolate, 10-16(-20) mm long; stamen alternately slightly unequal, 30-42 mm long; filaments ditinct, 3-8 mm long, glabrous; anthers alternately slightly unequal, 29-38 mm long; thecae 11-20 mm long; tubules distinct nearly to base, about equalling thecae or longer, rarely shorter, 13-20 mm long, dehiscing by introrse, oval clefts ca. 1 mm long; style slightly exserted, 40-53 mm long, glabrous. Berry spherical, capped by the persistent calyx limb, to 3.5 cm diam., dark blue-black, juicy (insipid).

Distribution: Endemic to Ecuador; montane cloud forest at 1100-2800 m altitude.

Type: Ecuador: in mountain forest of the Andes, 1830-2135 m, Nov 1857 (fl), Spruce 5094 (holotype, K-Herb. Benth., photo NY neg. 13009; isotypes, BM, E, G, GH, K-Herb. Hook., NY, OXF, P, W).

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Ceratostema calycinum (Benth. & Hook.f. ex A.C.Sm.) Sleumer: [Article] 1935. Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem. 12: 281.