Authority:

Luteyn, James L. 1983. Ericaceae--part I. Cavendishia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 1-290. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family:

Ericaceae

Description:

Species Description - Terrestrial shrub from a single arching stem to 4 m tall; seedlings with stems flexuous, finely short white pilose, the leaves elliptic, finely short white pilose on both surfaces; mature branches conspicuously and persistently 5-winged (wings to 3 mm broad), smooth, glabrous, reddish-brown. Leaves elliptic to ovate-elliptic, (8-)l 1 -20(-23) X (4-)7-16(-19) cm, basally cordate and clasping, apically rounded, glabrous; 5(-9)-plinerved from base, nerves red beneath when fresh, midrib and inner l(-2) pairs of lateral nerves conspicuously impressed above and raised beneath, outer 1-2 pairs of lateral nerves inconspicuously and slightly impressed to plane above but raised beneath; veinlets inconspicuous on both surfaces; petioles subterete, ovoid, rugose, 4-5 mm long and 5 mm in diam., glabrous, red when fresh. Inflorescence paniculate, to 850-flowered; primary rachis and lateral branches subterete, glabrous, green when living, primary rachis to 53 cm long and 6 mm in diam., primary lateral branches 20-28 cm long, secondary lateral branches ca. 13 cm long; floral bracts caducous, cucullate, ovate, ca. 6 X 8-9 mm, basally clasping, apically rounded, glabrous, green tinged with red when fresh; pedicels terete, striate, glabrous, 6-7 mm long at anthesis (elongating to 11-12 mm in fruit), ca. 1 mm in diam. but swollen to 1.5 mm at base, green when fresh; bracteoles caducous, similar to the floral bracts but ca. 3 X 4 mm. Flowers: calyx glabrous, 4 mm long, green when fresh; hypanthium cylindric, ca. 1.5 mm long and 4 mm in diam., basally slightly apophysate; limb slightly spreading, ca. 2-2.5 mm long; lobes ovate to hemispheric, apiculate, ca. 0.75 mm long, connivent after anthesis, marginally lacerate-glandular; sinus acute; corolla bottle-shaped, glabrous, 13-14 mm long and 7 mm in diam., purplish-green with the purple pigment restricted to inner (morphologically lower) epidermal surface, lobes triangular, acute, 1.5 mm long, flaring at anthesis, white; stamens 10-11 mm long; filaments very sparsely pilose along margins distally, alternately ca. 2 mm and 2.8-3 mm long; anthers subequal, 8.5-9 mm long; thecae ca. 3 mm long; style ca. 12 mm long. Berry ca. 13 mm in diam.

Discussion:

Cavendishia dulcis is characterized by the combination of large, many-flowered (to 850 flowers) paniculate inflorescences, winged stems and large, elliptic, coarsely-veined leaves which when fresh are dark green with dark red venation. It is most closely related to C. divaricata, the two species having in common a large, coarse habit, angled to winged stems, caducous floral bracts, a paniculate inflorescence, corolla pigmentation restricted to the inner epidermal layers, and large, sweet-tasting berries. They differ most noticeably by divaricata possessing a larger corolla (20-27 mm not 13-14 mm), longer floral bracts (9-20 mm not 6 mm) and pedicels (14-17 mm not 6-7 mm); and by dulcis possessing conspicuously winged (not angled to narrowly winged) stems, large, coarse elliptic to ovate-elliptic apically rounded (not acute to acuminate) leaves, and more numerous flowers/inflorescence.

Neither species is very common; however, both produce an abundance of large, sweet-tasting berries and with a little effort could become locally important crop plants.

Distribution:

Valle Colombia South America| Colombia South America|