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:

Tepuia cardonae A.C.Sm.
Description:

Species Description - Shrub to 3(-5) m tall with arching branches; mature stems terete, weakly striate, bearing a few hispid hairs or their bases; twigs often distally flexuous, terete to subterete, striate, densely ferruginous-to cinereous-tomentose at tips but glabrate, also moderately to densely hispid with minutely gland-tipped hairs to 2.5 mm long. Leaves coriaceous to subcoriaceous, basically flat, ovate, 3-5 × (0.9-) 1.3-3(-4) cm, base rounded, apex rounded, acute to short-acuminate, shortly and bluntly mucronate, margin entire, narrowly revolute, bearing 1-2(-3) pairs of pustular, rarely short-stipitate glands at base and onto petiole, essentially glabrous above or short-puberulent at base of midrib, densely brownish-to ferruginous-tomentose beneath, rarely glabrate; pinnately nerved with midrib impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves (4-5 per side) impressed but inconspicuous above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets impressed above and raised beneath; petiole subterete, narrowly canaliculate above, rugose, 3-6 mm long, densely short-ferruginous-tomentose to glabrate, rarely hispid as stems. Inflorescence 3-8-flowered; rachis, floral bract, pedicel, bracteoles, and calyx all densely short-ferruginous-tomentose (calyx sometimes glabrate, rarely glandular-hispid); rachis terete, often flexuous, 1-3 cm long; floral bract ovate, concave, ca. 2 mm long, obtuse; pedicel terete, 5-6 mm long; bracteoles ovate, 1.5-2 mm long, acute. Flowers with calyx 5-6 mm long, coral-red when fresh, lobes ovate, 4-5 mm long, acute, densely and shortly ferruginous-tomentose in apical half within and sometimes without, rarely with 1-4 minutely stipitate glands marginally at base; corolla ca. 7 mm long, densely and shortly ferruginous-tomentose opposite the lobes, otherwise glabrous between and at base, lobes ovate-deltoid, 2.5-3 mm long, acute; stamens 6 mm long; filaments ca. 3.5 mm long; anthers ca. 2.5 mm long; thecae rounded and mucronate basally, 1.5 mm long; tubules ca. 1 mm long, dehiscing by flaring, oblique, terminal pores; ovary densely pilose so as to obscure surface; style glabrous, ca. 3.5 mm long. Berry spherical, 1 cm diam., densely short-pilose, greenish-red to brown.

Discussion:

Tepuia cardonae is characterized by its broad, flat leaves with usually bluntly mucronate, acute to acuminate tips, usually externally glabrous calyces, and glandular-hispid trichomes of the stems and petioles. Its relationships to T. speciosa have been mentioned with that species.
Distribution:

Venezuela South America| Bolívar Venezuela South America|

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