Taxon Details: Psammisia cuyujensis Luteyn
Taxon Profile:
Narratives:
Family:
Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:
Psammisia cuyujensis Luteyn
Psammisia cuyujensis Luteyn
Accepted Name:
This name is currently accepted.
This name is currently accepted.
Description:
Description: Epiphytic shrub, 8 m high up a tree; stem and twigs terete, ribbed to striate, reddish-brown when dry, nitid, glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic to ob-elliptic, (2-)2.5-5 x 1.8-3 cm, base broadly cuneate to obtuse or rounded, very short-attenuate onto petiole, apex rounded and often with a tiny blunt or acute mucro, margin slightly revolute, nitid and glabrous on both surfaces, also both surfaces but especially beneath provided with tiny, reddish, pustular or pustular with concave tip, circular, glands, ca. 0.2-0.3 mm diam.; 3-5-plinerved from above the base with the inner pair of lateral nerves arising ca. 0.5-1 cm above the base, midrib impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, lateral nerves weakly impressed above but raised and conspicuous beneath, reticulate veinlets obscure above but slightly raised and inconspicuous beneath; petiole subterete, sharply angled, rugose, 5-10 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence solitary, axillary, subfasciculate, 1-3-flowered; rachis angled, 2-5 mm long, glabrous; floral bract broadly ovate, acute, 2.5-3 x 2-2.5 mm, ciliate at base; pedicel subterete, coarsely angled, striate, 15-19 mm long, glabrous; bracteoles located near base, ovate, acuminate, 1.5-2 mm long and broad, ciliate. Flowers with calyx 7-8 mm long, glabrous; hypanthium cylindric, rugose, 2.5-3.5 mm long, the base truncate and somewhat thickened; limb spreading-campanulate, rugose, 4.5-5 mm long; lobes ovate-deltate, acute, 2.5-3 mm long; sinuses acute; corolla thick-carnose, cylindric-urceolate, inflated just above the base, ca. 11 mm long and in diam., the wall ca. 3 mm thick, yellowish-orange (fide label), glabrous, the lobes reflexed, ovate-deltate, acute, 1.5-3 mm long; stamen ca. 7 mm long; filaments connate, ca. 2 mm long, puberulent dorsally and ciliate, the connectives lacking spurs; anthers ca. 6 mm long; thecae inflated, ca. 4 mm long; tubules ca. 2 mm long, dehiscing by narrow slits ca. 1.5 mm long; style ca. 8 mm long, glabrous. Berry not seen.
Distribution: Endemic to Ecuador (Napo Prov.), and known from two collections; montane wet forest at 3450 mm altitude.
Type: Ecuador. Napo: Reserva Ecológica Cayambe-Coca, Cuyuja-Quito rd, Km 5, slopes above N side of Hda. La Flor del Bosque, 3450 m, 17 Apr 1992 (fl), Gavilanes et al. 926 (holotype, QCA; isotype, NY).
Description: Epiphytic shrub, 8 m high up a tree; stem and twigs terete, ribbed to striate, reddish-brown when dry, nitid, glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic to ob-elliptic, (2-)2.5-5 x 1.8-3 cm, base broadly cuneate to obtuse or rounded, very short-attenuate onto petiole, apex rounded and often with a tiny blunt or acute mucro, margin slightly revolute, nitid and glabrous on both surfaces, also both surfaces but especially beneath provided with tiny, reddish, pustular or pustular with concave tip, circular, glands, ca. 0.2-0.3 mm diam.; 3-5-plinerved from above the base with the inner pair of lateral nerves arising ca. 0.5-1 cm above the base, midrib impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, lateral nerves weakly impressed above but raised and conspicuous beneath, reticulate veinlets obscure above but slightly raised and inconspicuous beneath; petiole subterete, sharply angled, rugose, 5-10 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence solitary, axillary, subfasciculate, 1-3-flowered; rachis angled, 2-5 mm long, glabrous; floral bract broadly ovate, acute, 2.5-3 x 2-2.5 mm, ciliate at base; pedicel subterete, coarsely angled, striate, 15-19 mm long, glabrous; bracteoles located near base, ovate, acuminate, 1.5-2 mm long and broad, ciliate. Flowers with calyx 7-8 mm long, glabrous; hypanthium cylindric, rugose, 2.5-3.5 mm long, the base truncate and somewhat thickened; limb spreading-campanulate, rugose, 4.5-5 mm long; lobes ovate-deltate, acute, 2.5-3 mm long; sinuses acute; corolla thick-carnose, cylindric-urceolate, inflated just above the base, ca. 11 mm long and in diam., the wall ca. 3 mm thick, yellowish-orange (fide label), glabrous, the lobes reflexed, ovate-deltate, acute, 1.5-3 mm long; stamen ca. 7 mm long; filaments connate, ca. 2 mm long, puberulent dorsally and ciliate, the connectives lacking spurs; anthers ca. 6 mm long; thecae inflated, ca. 4 mm long; tubules ca. 2 mm long, dehiscing by narrow slits ca. 1.5 mm long; style ca. 8 mm long, glabrous. Berry not seen.
Distribution: Endemic to Ecuador (Napo Prov.), and known from two collections; montane wet forest at 3450 mm altitude.
Type: Ecuador. Napo: Reserva Ecológica Cayambe-Coca, Cuyuja-Quito rd, Km 5, slopes above N side of Hda. La Flor del Bosque, 3450 m, 17 Apr 1992 (fl), Gavilanes et al. 926 (holotype, QCA; isotype, NY).