Monographs Details:
Authority:
Luteyn, James L. 1983. Ericaceae--part I. Cavendishia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 1-290. (Published by NYBG Press)
Luteyn, James L. 1983. Ericaceae--part I. Cavendishia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 1-290. (Published by NYBG Press)
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Epiphytic shrub to 1 m tall, glabrous throughout; stem base to 1.5 cm in diam.; branches terete or subterete, smooth or somewhat striate when immature, reddish-brown; bark reddish- or grayish-brown. Leaves elliptic or ovate-elliptic, (3.5-)5- 11.5 X 2-7 cm, basally rounded or somewhat subcordate, apically acute or broadly obtuse; inconspicuously 3-5(-7)-plinerved, midrib impressed above, raised beneath, very prominent on both surfaces, primary lateral nerves thin, raised on both surfaces, secondary nerves thick, raised and conspicuous above causing leaf to appear pinnately veined; petioles terete, rugose, 1-4 mm long and in diam. Inflorescence 8-16-flowered in tightly congested racemes, encircled at base by striate bracts; rachis bluntly angled, smooth or striate, often muricate, 1.5-4 cm long and ca. 2 mm diam., elongating to 6 cm long in fruit; floral bracts persistent, subcoriaceous, conspicuously striate, concave, elliptic, ovate-elliptic or obovate, rarely semiorbicular, (13-) 15-20 X (6-)8-12(-18) mm, basally rounded to truncate, slightly auriculate, apically acute, sometimes broadly acute or often with margins tightly revolute causing bracts to appear sharply acuminate, rose or salmon-pink or pale green with pinkish hue when fresh, marginally glandular-fimbriate with fimbriae caducous, bracts persisting as berry matures; pedicels subterete, 1-1.5(-3) mm long and 1-1.5 mm in diam.; bracteoles basal, striate, concave basally, extending beyond calyx lobes, completely enclosing calyx and tightly imbricate in bud, often persistent to fruit, ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 11-13(-17) x (3-)5-7 mm, apically rounded or acute, marginally glandular-fimbriate. Flowers: calyx 8-12(-15) mm long, pink; hypanthium barrel-shaped or globose at anthesis, smooth or slightly rugose, 2-4.5(-5) mm long and 2-4 mm in diam., nonapophysate; limb cylindric, striate, (3.5-)5-7(-9) mm long; lobes triangular or nearly oblong, acute or apiculate, 1.5-2 mm long and broad, erect after anthesis, marginally glandular-fimbriate and slightly scarious; sinus acute or obtuse; corolla tubular, slightly wider at middle, conspicuously striate, 11.5-16 mm long and 3.5-4 mm in diam., pale green with a yellow tip, lobes oblong, bluntly acute, 2-3.5 mm long, slightly thickened at tip, erect at anthesis; stamens 9.5-13 mm long; filaments coherent at very base, distally pubescent, alternately 2.5-4 mm and 3.5-5 mm long; anthers alternately 8.5-12 mm and 7-10.5 mm long; thecae 2-3.5 mm long; style 11.5-14.5 mm long. Berry 15 mm in diam.
Species Description - Epiphytic shrub to 1 m tall, glabrous throughout; stem base to 1.5 cm in diam.; branches terete or subterete, smooth or somewhat striate when immature, reddish-brown; bark reddish- or grayish-brown. Leaves elliptic or ovate-elliptic, (3.5-)5- 11.5 X 2-7 cm, basally rounded or somewhat subcordate, apically acute or broadly obtuse; inconspicuously 3-5(-7)-plinerved, midrib impressed above, raised beneath, very prominent on both surfaces, primary lateral nerves thin, raised on both surfaces, secondary nerves thick, raised and conspicuous above causing leaf to appear pinnately veined; petioles terete, rugose, 1-4 mm long and in diam. Inflorescence 8-16-flowered in tightly congested racemes, encircled at base by striate bracts; rachis bluntly angled, smooth or striate, often muricate, 1.5-4 cm long and ca. 2 mm diam., elongating to 6 cm long in fruit; floral bracts persistent, subcoriaceous, conspicuously striate, concave, elliptic, ovate-elliptic or obovate, rarely semiorbicular, (13-) 15-20 X (6-)8-12(-18) mm, basally rounded to truncate, slightly auriculate, apically acute, sometimes broadly acute or often with margins tightly revolute causing bracts to appear sharply acuminate, rose or salmon-pink or pale green with pinkish hue when fresh, marginally glandular-fimbriate with fimbriae caducous, bracts persisting as berry matures; pedicels subterete, 1-1.5(-3) mm long and 1-1.5 mm in diam.; bracteoles basal, striate, concave basally, extending beyond calyx lobes, completely enclosing calyx and tightly imbricate in bud, often persistent to fruit, ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 11-13(-17) x (3-)5-7 mm, apically rounded or acute, marginally glandular-fimbriate. Flowers: calyx 8-12(-15) mm long, pink; hypanthium barrel-shaped or globose at anthesis, smooth or slightly rugose, 2-4.5(-5) mm long and 2-4 mm in diam., nonapophysate; limb cylindric, striate, (3.5-)5-7(-9) mm long; lobes triangular or nearly oblong, acute or apiculate, 1.5-2 mm long and broad, erect after anthesis, marginally glandular-fimbriate and slightly scarious; sinus acute or obtuse; corolla tubular, slightly wider at middle, conspicuously striate, 11.5-16 mm long and 3.5-4 mm in diam., pale green with a yellow tip, lobes oblong, bluntly acute, 2-3.5 mm long, slightly thickened at tip, erect at anthesis; stamens 9.5-13 mm long; filaments coherent at very base, distally pubescent, alternately 2.5-4 mm and 3.5-5 mm long; anthers alternately 8.5-12 mm and 7-10.5 mm long; thecae 2-3.5 mm long; style 11.5-14.5 mm long. Berry 15 mm in diam.
Discussion:
Cavendishia allenii is a very inconspicuous, infrequently collected epiphyte which easily blends into the surrounding vegetation. It is characterized by relatively small elliptic to ovate-elliptic leaves, inflorescences with congested racemes, flowers subtended by persistent, subcoriaceous, conspicuously striate salmon-pink bracts, and by a conspicuously nerved or striate corolla which is pale green with a yellow tip.Cavendishia allenii, C. axillaris, and C. darienensis comprise a somewhat isolated group within series Cavendishiae distinguished by the following combination of characters: congested inflorescences; striate (conspicuously nerved) floral bracts, bracteoles, and calyx limbs; persistent, concave, tightly appressed-clasping floral bracts; short pedicels; long, clasping bracteoles; nonapophysate hypanthia; elongate calyx limbs with lobes erect after anthesis; relatively short corollas; and glands (glandular fimbriae) of similar type on the margins of floral bracts, bracteoles, and calyx lobes. This small group may deserve taxonomic recognition as a distinct series within sect. Cavendishia except that the same combination of characters has also arisen independently within series Imbricatae (sect. Cavendishia), sect. Quereme, and to a lesser degree in subgen. Chlamydantha.
Cavendishia allenii is a very inconspicuous, infrequently collected epiphyte which easily blends into the surrounding vegetation. It is characterized by relatively small elliptic to ovate-elliptic leaves, inflorescences with congested racemes, flowers subtended by persistent, subcoriaceous, conspicuously striate salmon-pink bracts, and by a conspicuously nerved or striate corolla which is pale green with a yellow tip.Cavendishia allenii, C. axillaris, and C. darienensis comprise a somewhat isolated group within series Cavendishiae distinguished by the following combination of characters: congested inflorescences; striate (conspicuously nerved) floral bracts, bracteoles, and calyx limbs; persistent, concave, tightly appressed-clasping floral bracts; short pedicels; long, clasping bracteoles; nonapophysate hypanthia; elongate calyx limbs with lobes erect after anthesis; relatively short corollas; and glands (glandular fimbriae) of similar type on the margins of floral bracts, bracteoles, and calyx lobes. This small group may deserve taxonomic recognition as a distinct series within sect. Cavendishia except that the same combination of characters has also arisen independently within series Imbricatae (sect. Cavendishia), sect. Quereme, and to a lesser degree in subgen. Chlamydantha.
Distribution:
Panama Central America| Coclé Panamá Central America| Colón Panama Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| San Blás Panama Central America|
Panama Central America| Coclé Panamá Central America| Colón Panama Central America| Panamá Panama Central America| San Blás Panama Central America|
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