Taxon Details: Themistoclesia inflata A.C.Sm.
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Narratives:
Family:
Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:
Themistoclesia inflata A.C.Sm.
Themistoclesia inflata A.C.Sm.
Primary Citation:
Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 41. 1952
Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 41. 1952
Accepted Name:
This name is currently accepted.
This name is currently accepted.
Description:
Description: Epiphytic shrub with elongate, pendulous branches; stem terete, striate, glabrate; twigs somewhat flexuous, subterete, bluntly ribbed to striate, short-pilose with white hairs. Leaves succulent, to 4 mm thick, and distally inflated when fresh, drying coriaceous, ovate-elliptic, 3.5-6 x 1.5-3.2 cm, base rounded-truncate or minutely auriculate, apex gradually narrowing into an acumen ca. 1 cm long, margin thickened and slightly revolute, glabrous above, glandular-pilose beneath with hairs sunken; 5-plinerved from the base, midrib and lateral nerves inconspicuously impressed above, midrib raised beneath, reticulate veinlets impressed above, all nerves obscure beneath; petiole subterete, thickened, rugulose, 2-2.5 mm long, densely short-pilose with white hairs, glabrate. Inflorescence with flowers supra-axillary, solitary or few (2 ?) in a fascicle with a very short rachis (no rachis apparent on US type); floral bract oblong, acute, less than 1 mm long, marginally short-pilose; pedicel 12-17 mm long, densely short-pilose with white hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long; bracteoles basal, caducis, obscure, subulate, ca. 0.5 mm long. Flowers with calyx 5-6 mm long, short, white pilose; hypanthium obconic, inconspicuously 5-angled, 3-4 mm long; limb suberect, shorter than hypanthium, glabrate; lobes minute, broadly deltate, 0.5-1 mm long; sinuses rounded; corolla thin, broadly cylindric-urceolate, the throat not much constricted, terete, ca. 7 mm long and ca. 4.5 mm diam. at the middle, glabrous, cream-white, the lobes reflexed, deltate, subacute, ca. 1.5 mm long, thus slightly exposing the stamen tips at anthesis; stamen 10, slightly unequal, about as long as corolla, ca. 5.5 mm long; filaments distinct, ca. 1.5-1.8 mm long, dorsally hispidulous distally with hairs ca. 0.5 mm long; anthers 4.5-5 mm long; thecae 1.7-2 mm long, obscurely mucronate at base; tubules longer than thecae and very narrow, ca. 2.4-2.5 mm long, dehiscing through clefts ca. 0.5 mm long; style equal to corolla, slightly thickened at base, ca. 6.5 mm long; nectariferous disc annular-pulvinate, glabrous. Berry spherical, short-pilose (mature not seen).
Distribution: Endemic to Ecuador and known only from the type collection from "forested valleys" at 1525-1985 m altitude.
Type: Ecuador. Chimborazo: Cañon de Río Chanchan, ca. 5 km N of Huigra, 1525-1985 m, 19-28 May 1945 (fl), Camp E-3363 (holotype, US; isotypes, BM, F, GH, K, MO, NY, P, U; photo of NY type NY neg. 10143).
Conservation status: Rare and endangered.
Description: Epiphytic shrub with elongate, pendulous branches; stem terete, striate, glabrate; twigs somewhat flexuous, subterete, bluntly ribbed to striate, short-pilose with white hairs. Leaves succulent, to 4 mm thick, and distally inflated when fresh, drying coriaceous, ovate-elliptic, 3.5-6 x 1.5-3.2 cm, base rounded-truncate or minutely auriculate, apex gradually narrowing into an acumen ca. 1 cm long, margin thickened and slightly revolute, glabrous above, glandular-pilose beneath with hairs sunken; 5-plinerved from the base, midrib and lateral nerves inconspicuously impressed above, midrib raised beneath, reticulate veinlets impressed above, all nerves obscure beneath; petiole subterete, thickened, rugulose, 2-2.5 mm long, densely short-pilose with white hairs, glabrate. Inflorescence with flowers supra-axillary, solitary or few (2 ?) in a fascicle with a very short rachis (no rachis apparent on US type); floral bract oblong, acute, less than 1 mm long, marginally short-pilose; pedicel 12-17 mm long, densely short-pilose with white hairs 0.2-0.3 mm long; bracteoles basal, caducis, obscure, subulate, ca. 0.5 mm long. Flowers with calyx 5-6 mm long, short, white pilose; hypanthium obconic, inconspicuously 5-angled, 3-4 mm long; limb suberect, shorter than hypanthium, glabrate; lobes minute, broadly deltate, 0.5-1 mm long; sinuses rounded; corolla thin, broadly cylindric-urceolate, the throat not much constricted, terete, ca. 7 mm long and ca. 4.5 mm diam. at the middle, glabrous, cream-white, the lobes reflexed, deltate, subacute, ca. 1.5 mm long, thus slightly exposing the stamen tips at anthesis; stamen 10, slightly unequal, about as long as corolla, ca. 5.5 mm long; filaments distinct, ca. 1.5-1.8 mm long, dorsally hispidulous distally with hairs ca. 0.5 mm long; anthers 4.5-5 mm long; thecae 1.7-2 mm long, obscurely mucronate at base; tubules longer than thecae and very narrow, ca. 2.4-2.5 mm long, dehiscing through clefts ca. 0.5 mm long; style equal to corolla, slightly thickened at base, ca. 6.5 mm long; nectariferous disc annular-pulvinate, glabrous. Berry spherical, short-pilose (mature not seen).
Distribution: Endemic to Ecuador and known only from the type collection from "forested valleys" at 1525-1985 m altitude.
Type: Ecuador. Chimborazo: Cañon de Río Chanchan, ca. 5 km N of Huigra, 1525-1985 m, 19-28 May 1945 (fl), Camp E-3363 (holotype, US; isotypes, BM, F, GH, K, MO, NY, P, U; photo of NY type NY neg. 10143).
Conservation status: Rare and endangered.
Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):
Themistoclesia inflata A.C.Sm.: [Article] 1952. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 41.
Themistoclesia inflata A.C.Sm.: [Article] Smith, Albert C. 1952. Plants collected in Ecuador by W. H. camp. Vaceiniaceae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (1): 41-85.
Themistoclesia inflata A.C.Sm.: [Article] 1952. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 41.
Themistoclesia inflata A.C.Sm.: [Article] Smith, Albert C. 1952. Plants collected in Ecuador by W. H. camp. Vaceiniaceae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (1): 41-85.