Authority:

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

Family:

Ericaceae

Description:

Species Description - Epiphytic shrub; twigs terete, smooth, nitid, glabrous (glabrate in type collection) but with scattered spherical sessile glands to 0.2 mm diam. Leaves elliptic, ovate, or ovate-lanceolate, (3.2-)4-6(-8.3) X (1.3-)2-3 cm, basally cuneate, or rarely rounded and short-attenuate, apically narrowly long-acuminate, acumen to 1 cm long and sharply acute at apex, margins entire but often appearing toothed due to tiny spherical glands to 0.2 mm diam. along the length (these glands often on upper surface of lamina), glabrous; 3-5-plinerved, midrib raised and thickened through proximal 5-8 mm otherwise impressed above and raised beneath, inner pair of lateral nerves arising from above base, raised or slightly impressed above and raised beneath, outer pair lateral nerves and reticulate veinlets raised but usually obscure on both surfaces; petioles terete, rugose, 3.5-6 mm long and 0.6-1.5 mm diam., glabrous (glabrate in type collection), provided with spherical (often sunken) glands to 0.2 mm diam. Inflorescence 5-8-flowered (to 12-flowered fide Smith, 1933) but flowers restricted to distal ½ or 1/3 rachis subterete, bluntly angled, smooth, viscid, glabrous, 5.5-7.5 cm long and 1.2-2 mm in diam., provided with numerous subspherical globular glands 0.2-0.4 mm diam.; floral bracts conspicuously reticulately veined, obovate, oblanceolate or rarely nearly semiorbicular, 25-35 X 12-28 mm (lower sterile ones smaller), basally cuneate, apically abruptly caudate-acuminate, acumen 5-6 mm long, bright red when fresh, marginally serrate with each tooth terminated by a spherical globular gland ca. 0.2 mm diam. (the glands greenish or whitish when fresh); pedicels terete, bluntly angled, glabrous, 3-7 mm long, provided with subspherical globular glands at articulation with calyx; bracteoles located midway along pedicel, oblong to lanceolate, 2-3 x 0.5-1 mm, marginally with subspherical to oblong globular glands often forming a continuous gland at tip. Flowers: calyx glabrous, 5.5-7 mm long; hypanthium cylindric, weakly 10-ribbed, 2-2.5 mm long and 3-4.5 mm diam., basally weakly but definitely apophysate, the apophysis margin undulate; limb spreading-campanulate, sometimes drying slightly striate, 3.2-4.5 mm long and 7-10 mm diam. at apex; lobes triangular, 1-1.5 X 3.5 mm, erect after anthesis, each margin provided with an oblong callose gland, these contiguous at apex; sinus broadly rounded; corolla cylindric, glabrous, 30-37 mm long, pale lilac to pale violet (fide label data) when fresh; stamens subequal, 24-29.5 mm long (including Smith’s 1933 measurements); filaments marginally short-pilose, alternately 3-4 mm and ca. 9 mm long; anthers alternately 18-27.5 mm and 13-22 mm long; thecae 5-6.5 mm long; style 29-36 mm long. Immature berry 8 mm diam.

Discussion:

I have not seen C. coccinea in the field, but it must be a spectacular sight with its large foliaceous, abruptly caudate-acuminate, bright red floral bracts and whitish to pale lilac corollas. The shape of the apex of the bracts is unique in the genus.

Cavendishia coccinea is most closely related to C. porphyrea, also from low-elevation western Colombia. They are distinguished from other members of ser. Lactiviscidae by distribution (the other species, with one exception, are from Central America) and lack of globular glands on the calyx. They differ from each other by features mentioned in the key, most prominently by the size and shape of the floral bracts.

Distribution:

Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America|