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:

Andromeda lanceolata Vell., Andromeda multiflora Pohl, Andromeda longepetiolata Fenzl ex Ettingsh., Leucothoe multiflora var. petiolaris Meisn., Leucothoe multiflora var. brevipes Meisn., Andromeda eucalyptoides Cham. & Schltdl., Leucothoe eucalyptoides (Don) DC., Leucothoe multiflora var. eucalyptoides (Cham. & Schltdl.) Meisn., Lyonia ovalifolia (Wall.) Drude, Agarista multiflora (Pohl) G.Don, Leucothoe multiflora (Pohl) DC., Leucothoe multiflora var. pohlii Meisn.

Description:

Species Description - Shrub or small tree to ca. 5(-8) m tall, with often contorted trunks and thick, corky, furrowed bark; twigs glabrous to sparsely pubescent, with ± nonchambered pith; buds to ca. 1.5 mm long, leaves re volute. Leaves alternate or subopposite or whorled, often variable in arrangement, even within single twig; coriaceous, ovate to oblong, 2.5-8(-9.3) × 0.8-2.6 cm, base rounded to truncate and often slightly asymmetric, apex acute to acuminate or shortly so, to nearly rounded-mucronate, margin entire and sometimes undulate, plane to very slightly revolute, especially near base, adaxial surface glabrous (sparsely pubescent on midvein), abaxial surface glabrous (very sparsely pubescent on midvein near base), with usually at least few inconspicuous (to conspicuous) glandular dots along midvein; petiole 6-41 mm long, slender, frequently flexuous. Inflorescences axillary racemes to 1-6 cm long; rachis moderately to densely ferruginous/crisped-pubescent; pedicels 2-6 mm long, sparsely to densely ferruginous-pubescent; bracteoles 2, opposite to alternate, from nearly basal to near midpoint of pedicel, narrowly triangular, to ca. 1.1 mm long; floral bracts to ca. 1.7 mm long. Flowers with triangular calyx lobes, with acuminate (to acute) apices, 1-1.8 x 0.5-1.2 mm, abaxial surface essentially glabrous; corolla cylindrical, white (to reddish), 6-10.5 x 2.5-5 mm, glabrous; filaments 3-4.5 mm long; anthers 0.8-1.1 mm long; ovary glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Capsules ovoid to short-ovoid, 3-5 x 4-5 mm, placentae subapical; seeds 1.8-2.5 mm long.

Discussion:

Agarista eucalyptoides is a distinctive species easily recognizable by the moderate to dense, ferrugineous, and crisped pubescence of its inflorescence axis and pedicels. It is most closely related to A. boliviensis (see above). Both of these species (along with A. glaberrima and, to a lesser extent, A. angustissima)l frequently have slender, flexuous, elongate petioles. Sleumer (1959) considered A. glaberrima to be only varietally distinct from A. eucalyptoides, but the two taxa differ in leaf shape, degree of adaxial folding of the lamina, inflorescence indumentum (lacking in A. glaberrima), and, to a lesser extent, capsule size. The morphological gap separating these taxa is thus comparable to that between most Agarista species. Agarista glaberrima is considered here to be a distinct species that is probably more closely related to A. angustissima than it is to A. eucalyptoides (Fig. 2; see also Judd, 1984).

Distribution:

Brazil South America| Minas Gerais Brazil South America| Rio Grande do Sul Brazil South America| Santa Catarina Brazil South America| São Paulo Brazil South America| Uruguay South America| Rivera Uruguay South America|