Authority:

Luteyn, James L., et al. 1995. Ericaceae, Part II. The Superior-Ovaried Genera (Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Rhododendroideae, and Vaccinioideae P.P.). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 66: 560. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family:

Ericaceae

Synonyms:

Lyonia oblongata Urb., Lyonia lippoldii Berazaín & Bisse, Andromeda obtusa (Griseb.) C.Wright, Xolisma obtusa (Griseb.) Small, Lyonia oblongata Urb., Lyonia lippoldii Berazaín & Bisse

Description:

Species Description - Evergreen shrub to small tree to ca. 5 m tall, with grayish to brownish, longitudinally furrowed bark; twigs moderately to slightly angled, slender, sparsely lepidote, otherwise densely to sparsely pubescent; buds ovoid, ca. 1 × 0.8-1 mm. Leaf blades elliptic, widely elliptic, to obovate or ovate, 1.2-7.8 × 0.6-6 cm, flat to slightly or strongly recurved, often strongly coriaceous, ca. 0.45-0.56 mm thick; base broadly cuneate to rounded; apex rounded or truncate; margin slightly to strongly revolute, apical portion entire to sinuous or occasionally very obscurely toothed, basal portion entire; venation brochidodromous, 3° reticulate, adaxial surface lepidote, but scales usually quickly deciduous, sparsely pubescent on basal portion of midvein, 3° and higher-order veins visible to less commonly obscure, midvein usually slightly to strongly depressed, 2° veins often slightly to strongly depressed, abaxial surface sparsely lepidote, otherwise glabrous (very sparsely pubescent on midvein near petiole), the 3° and higher-order veins ± flat and obscure to slightly and laxly reticulate, much less prominent than 2° veins, the 2° veins raised and visible; scales rust colored, persistent to deciduous, ca. 0.12-0.17 mm in diam., ± entire; petiole 2-9 mm long, lepidote, otherwise pubescent all around or less commonly only adaxially; flower buds ± intermixed with vegetative buds. Inflorescences fasciculate, ca. 1-8-flowered; pedicels clearly to only weakly articulated with calyx, slender, 3-25 mm long, lepidote, otherwise sparsely to densely pubescent; bracteoles subopposite to alternate, near base of pedicel, narrowly triangular, 0.5-1.5 mm long; floral bracts to ca. 2 mm long. Flowers (4-)5(-6)-merous; calyx lobes triangular, with acuminate to acute apices, 1.3-2.5(-3) × 0.7-1.7 mm, the adaxial side often sparsely lepidote near margins, otherwise sparsely pubescent, especially near apex, the abaxial side lepidote, sometimes densely so, otherwise glabrous to moderately pubescent near base; corolla long-urceolate, white to pink, occasionally reddish toward mouth, 5-7 × 3.5-5(-6) mm, abaxially moderately to densely lepidote, thus appearing golden; filaments roughened, 2.7-4 mm long, usually with very short spurs to ca. 0.1 mm long near anther-filament junction; anthers 0.8-1.5 mm long; ovary lepidote, otherwise pubescent, placentae ± subapical. Capsules ovoid, usually with straight-sided valves, 4.5-10 × 3.5-7 mm, lepidote, otherwise moderately to densely pubescent, the pale, very thick sutures separating as unit from adjacent valves; seeds 1.5-4 mm long.

Discussion:

Lyonia obtusa is readily distinguished from its very close relative, L. longipes, by its larger leaves with rounded apices and more or less recurved margins, often with the midvein and/or secondary veins depressed, and the abaxial side with tertiary veins much less prominent than secondary and obscure to only slightly reticulate. The two species are geographically isolated, because L. longipes is restricted to the Sierra de Cristal (see Fig. 20B). These two species were considered conspecific and recognized at the varietal level by Judd (1981) because they differ in only a few, mainly vegetative, features. Additional collections, however, have confirmed the distinctive differences between these taxa, and no intermediate individuals are known; thus, Borhidi (1983) and Berazaín (1985) considered the taxa to be specifically distinct. The "phenetic gap" between these taxa is small but consistent. This new evidence compels me to reverse my earlier judgment and consider L. obtusa and L. longipes to be specifically distinct, although clearly very closely related.

The newly described species, L. lippoldii (Berazaín, 1987), has been compared to L. macrophylla but seems to fit well within the range of variation exhibited by L. obtusa, and it is here placed in synonymy.

Lyonia obtusa is readily distinguished from another related species, L. nipensis, by the lack of unicellular hairs covering the abaxial surface of its leaf blades and by its ± entire-margined, ferruginous scales.

The berries are used in Edo. Mexico (Mexico) for making black ink (Balls 4187). On the Galapagos Islands Taylor G22 records the berry as "sweet and good." However, it is more frequent to hear the following: "said to poison mules" (Leavenworth 281, Michoacán, Mexico) or "sheep get drunk, often die, also people (children)" (Woythowski 5272, Peru). Reports vary in that some people eat the berries without ill effects (e.g., P. C. Standley, Flora of Guatemala; various others, pers. comm.) while others have been made ill (H. Pittier, Flora of Guatemala; various others, pers. comm.). Therefore, it is probably safest to avoid them.

Pernettya prostrata is characterized by an obtuse to acute (rarely mucronate-tipped) leaf apex, eglandular pubescence, glabrous filaments, and essentially Andean distribution from Mexico to northern Argentina. Because of its broad distribution in highly dissected montane regions, there is much isolation between populations and, hardly surprisingly, morphological variation. Therefore, it is not surprising that many different names have been assigned to the different populations from throughout the geographical range. I cannot see any consistent morphological variation that correlates with geography, geology, elevation, habitat, habit, etc., however, and virtually any character may appear throughout the range. Therefore, I am recognizing P. prostrata as a polymorphic species of wide distribution.

A brief discussion of some of the morphological variation is in order. Within and between adjacent populations leaf size and shape may vary considerably (see Fig. 1). In my experience, leaf size and shape may change with age of the plant. Likewise, elevational differences and exposure (to sunlight or wind) have noticeable effects on the plants, with growth being diminished and plants stunted with increasing elevation and/or exposure. The very narrow and elongate (almost linear) leaves supposedly characteristic of P. pentlandii from Bolivia also turn up at scattered localities to the north from Colombia to Mexico (where such forms were called P. buxifolia or P. mexicana). In Costa Rica (Cerro de La Muerte and Cerro Chirripo at 3300-3600 m) some plants may have leaves with distinctly and persistently mucronate tips, a feature found in P. howellii and some of the temperate Chilean-Argentinean species. While giving the plants a recognizable morphology, this character is not even consistent within a population. Furthermore, some young leaves with mucronate leaf tips lose this feature with age. Mucronate leaf tips are another unreliable character.

Stem and leaf indumentum is totally unpredictable and may range from none (glabrous) to closely appressed (strigose) to spreading (hirsute). Furthermore, the range of pubescence types may occur with any of the different leaf shapes.

In Pernettya prostrata the mature fruit color is a dark purple to blue-black. Although some apparently mature fruits are white or whitish-violet, when fully mature they will become blue-black. When in fruit, the calyx lobes of Pernettya species normally remain green and membranaceous. In some populations, however, it is often possible to find plants with some calyx lobes green and thin, while others may be blue-black and succulent.

Pernettya prostrata is closely related to P. hirta, which is known only from one small area east of Bogota, Colombia. The combination of characters given in the key is consistent, however, and gives to the species very different facies. Therefore, I have maintained them as distinct.

Pernettya prostrata is also closely related to the geographically isolated and endemic Guayana Highland species P. marginata. Here again, however, the characters given in the key are consistent and are reinforced by geographical separation.

The relationships between P. prostrata and the more temperate South American taxa from Chile and Argentina (including P. howellii from the Gal£pagos Islands) are more obscure to me because I have not studied the temperate taxa in either the herbarium or the field. One feature present in those taxa, and seemingly not in P. prostrata, is dioecy (cf. Sleumer, 1985; Cambi & Hermann, 1989).

Distribution:

Cuba South America|

Common Names:

arrayán, lumal ajate’es, capulincillo, tlal capuline, gamambouya, garambullo, cacalote, Colorado, chirriadera, cimarrón, gateadero, mortiño, reventadera, moridera, bichacha, albricia negra, albricias, borracherito, borrachera, borrachera de perro, chivacú, fruta de perro, laurelito, sarna de perro, borracherito, chivacoa, fruta de perro, perro guanuna, tirac, moridera, mortillo, mortiño, mortillo, Shanshi, Taglli, macha macha, macha marca, macha macha