Monographs Details – Ericaceae

Monographs Details:

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

Scientific Name:

Agarista

Synonyms:

Amechania, Agarista nummularia (Cham. & Schltdl.) G.Don, Amechania subcanescens DC., Agarista salicifolia G.Don, Agauria salicifolia Hook.f., Agarista serrulata (Cham.) G.Don, Agarista chlorantha (Cham.) G.Don

Description:

Genus Description - Evergreen (rhizomatous) shrubs or trees to 20 m, with longitudinally furrowed bark and terete to slightly angled branches; indumentum of unicellular hairs and often multicellular, multiseriate, longstalked, gland-headed hairs; buds with 2-4(-6) imbricate scales. Leaves alternate (to subopposite or nearly 3-whorled at some nodes), petiolate; blades re volute (convolute) in bud, coriaceous, frequently with gland-headed hairs on midvein or along margin (also on lamina), often with unicellular hairs on midvein and sometimes densely covering abaxial surface [sometimes papillose abaxially]; margin entire or undulate, to obscurely to clearly serrate, or serrulate/ciliate due to presence of gland-headed hairs; venation reticulodromous, the vein reticulum rather dense and with all orders more or less equally prominent. Inflorescences resting within bud with meiosis probably occurring after emergence, axillary or terminal racemes or panicles; floral bracts solitary, small (to large and foliaceous); pedicels with 2 (several) bracteoles at or near base to near midpoint. Flowers perfect, 5-merous, usually fragrant; calyx of imbricate lobes, articulate with pedicel, persistent in fruit; corolla cylindrical to urceolate, with short, imbricate lobes, (greenish) white to red, glabrous to densely covered with unicellular hairs abaxially, glabrous adaxially; stamens 10 in 2 whorls, inserted at base of corolla, included, the filaments flattened, somewhat expanded near base, geniculate, with long unicellular hairs, lacking spurlike appendages, the anthers more or less ovoid, minutely papillose to nearly smooth, lacking apical awns, dehiscing by large, introrse-terminal, elliptic pores, with white line or triangular patch of disintegration tissue on back of each lobe near apex; ovary 5-locular, glabrous to densely covered with unicellular hairs (with few gland-headed hairs), placentae subapical to central [basal], slightly bilobed; nectariferous disc an enlargment of base of ovary wall, variously developed and lobed; style columnar, slightly swollen [not swollen] near apex, straight, slightly to strongly impressed into apex of ovary and usually slightly exserted; stigma truncate to capitate, obscurely lobed, minutely papillose. Capsules erect, with sutures unthickened (or very slightly thickened near apex), not separating from valves at dehiscence (margins of valves whitish); placentae persistent on columella; seeds very small, brown, scobiform, the testa thin, composed of a single layer of much elongated, thin-walled cells. 2n = 24.

Discussion:

Measurements and Terminology: All measurements (except plant height, which was taken from information included on specimen labels) included in the descriptions of species have been taken directly from dried herbarium material. The width of the calyx lobes was measured midway between the apex and the point where they join the adjacent lobes; the width of all other structures was measured at the widest point. The values for inflorescence length refer to the range of variation in the longest inflorescence per specimen (and were determined by surveying total available herbarium material). As used here, "glabrous" and "pubescent" refer to the presence or absence of unicellular hairs; the presence, distribution, and density of multicellular, gland-headed hairs are described separately. Leaves are alternate unless otherwise indicated.