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

Description:

Species Description - Rhizomatous subshrub, often repent, usually 1-3 (rarely to 0.5) dm tall, crushed stems, leaves, and fruits often with wintergreen odor; mature stems subterete, striate, puberulent, glabrate, reddish-brown; twigs subterete to complanate, striate, puberulent, often bearing internodal bracteoles similar to those described below; buds ovate, complanate, scales several. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic, ovate, oblong-elliptic, rarely slightly broadest above the middle, (1-)1.5-2.6(-3.5) × (0.7-)l-2 cm, base rounded or obtuse, apex acute and obtusely callose-apiculate, basically flat but margin slightly recurved and serrate (often bluntly), glabrous on both surfaces; midrib usually plane in basal half, but raised distally above, raised and conspicuous beneath, lateral nerves (2-4 per side) and reticulate veinlets raised on both surfaces; petiole subterete, flat to canaliculate above, 1-3(-4) mm long, glabrous or weakly puberulent. Inflorescence axillary, flowers solitary; pedicel subterete, striate, 4-12 mm long, puberulent and also (especially distally) with few, scattered, short (ca. 0.1-0.2 mm long), gland-tipped setae; bracteoles ca. 8-10, scattered along and obscuring pedicel, membranous, ± clasping, ± decussate, striate, ovate, 3-6 × 2.5-4 mm, acuminate to obtuse, ciliolate; floral bract similar to bracteoles but broadly ovate, and much smaller, ca. 1.5 mm long and broad, acute. Flowers with calyx (4-)5.5-6.5 mm long, lobes ovate, (3-)5-5.2 × 2-2.5 mm, long-acuminate, glabrous without (pilose apically, or with glandular setae), sparsely pilose within, densely ciliolate apically; corolla urceolate, 5-angled when fresh, strongly constricted at throat, 7-8(-10) × 4-5(-6.5) mm, glabrous without (bearing scattered, ca. 0.3 mm long, glandular setae along angles) and within, pink to dark rose, lobes oblong to ovate, obtuse; stamens 4-4.5 mm long; filaments 3-3.6 mm long, glabrous, sparsely pilose, or basally ciliate; anthers ca. 1.1-1.3 mm long, awns very short, sometimes anthers ± distally bifid only; ovary glabrous to weakly pilose; style 4-5 mm long, glabrous. Fruiting calyx globose, 8-14 mm diam., glabrous, white. Chromosome number: n = 11, 2n = 22 (Luteyn & Cotton 11153).

Discussion:

Gaultheria amoena is characterized by a rhizomatous, subshrub habit; long, glandular-setose pedicels; numerous long, pedicellary bracteoles; solitary flowers with angled, pink to rose corollas; and bright white fruits. When fresh, it is additionally distinctive because of its bright red rhizomes, leaves which are dark green and nitid above, pale green often with red veins beneath, and frequently with the odor and taste of wintergreen when foliage and fruits are crushed.

Gaultheria amoena is most closely related to G. vaccinioides. The two have in common a rhizomatous, subshrub habit, long-acuminate calyx lobes, and relatively large, pinkish to roseate corollas which are conspicuously basally inflated and apically constricted. They may be separated by the following key:

1. Stems without strigose or hirsute indumentum; lamina (1-)1.5-2.6(-3.5) × (0.7-)1-2 cm, glabrous beneath; bracteoles 3-6 × 2.5-4 mm; calyx lobes (3-)5-7 mm long, not marginally glandular-fimbriate; fruiting calyx white to blue-black; Colombia-Ecuador.................................... G. amoena.

1. Stems strigose or hirsute; lamina (0.6-)0.9-1.8 (-2.3) × (0.4-)0.6-l.l(-1.5) cm, strigose along the midrib and/or glandular-setose beneath; bracteoles 1.5-3.5 × ca. 2 mm; calyx lobes 2.7-4 mm long, usually marginally glandular-fimbriate; fruiting calyx blue-black; Peru-Bolivia................................. G. vaccinioides.

There are four collections intermediate between the above-mentioned species which may demonstrate convergence, incomplete divergence, or hybridization:

ECUADOR. Azuay: Paramos de Matanga, Luteyn & Cotton 11153 (NY, QCA); Cordillera Oriental, betw. Ona and Río Yacuambi, Prieto P-266 (NY). Loja: N of Saraguro, Luteyn et al. 6662 (NY, QCA); Yangana-Valladolid rd., Ulloa U. 643 (AAU).

These collections have been annotated as G. amoena × G. vaccinioides and all show the following intermediate characters: stems weakly strigose; leaves very weakly strigose only along the midrib (not glandular setose) and sometimes totally glabrous, and of an intermediate size; bracteoles 5-6 × 1 mm; calyx lobes 3-5 mm, not marginally fimbriate; and fruit white.

The pollen of Luteyn et al. 6662 stained 100% viable when checked with cotton-blue plus lactophenol.

Distribution:

Colombia South America| Caldas Colombia South America| Cauca Colombia South America| Huila Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Tolima Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Azuay Ecuador South America| Imbabura Ecuador South America| Loja Ecuador South America| Napo Ecuador South America| Pichincha Ecuador South America| Tungurahua Ecuador South America|