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:

Gaultheria rufescens DC., Gaultheria bicolor Sleumer, Andromeda bracteata Cav., Brossea rufescens (DC.) Kuntze

Description:

Species Description - Erect shrub (0.15-)l-3(-5) m tall; mature stems terete, striate, glabrate; bark reddish-brown, cracking longitudinally; twigs subterete, densely strigose with golden to ferruginous, straight to distally crisped, eglandular hairs 2-3 mm long; buds terete, ovate, scales ovate, obtuse, apiculate, ciliolate and short-pilose distally, reddish-brown. Leaves coriaceous, ovate to elliptic-ovate, (3-)5.5-8.5(-11) × (1.5-) 2-3(-5) cm, base broadly cuneate, obtuse, or rounded, apex acuminate, slightly apiculate, margin obviously crenate with each tooth terminating in a deciduous, basally swollen hair to 2 mm long, newly unfolding leaves densely golden to ferruginous strigose with eglandular hairs which do not obscure surfaces, when mature upper surface appressed sub-setose, glabrate, lower surface usually persistently strigose or glabrate and then swollen hair bases remaining as tiny papillae; midrib, lateral nerves (3-4 per side), and reticulate veinlets all impressed above and raised beneath; petiole subterete, rugose, canaliculate above, (3.5-)4.5-9 mm long, pubescent as stems. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, 10-15 (-20)-flowered; rachis subterete, bluntly angled, 3-5.5(-7.5) cm long, densely strigose to hirsute with straight, golden to ferruginous, eglandular or minutely gland-tipped hairs 1.5-2 mm long, at base circumscribed by a series of ovate to oblong-elliptic, obtuse, striate, ciliolate bracts to 8 mm long; pedicels terete, 6-10(-12) mm long at anthesis, pubescent with appressed to hirsute, crisped, golden to ferruginous, eglandular or minutely gland-tipped hairs ca. 1-1.5 mm long (also weakly short-pilose with white hairs); bracteoles basal or nearly so, chartaceous, often wide-spreading, linear-ovate, 3-4(-4.5) × 0.5-0.8(-1.2) mm, acuminate, ciliolate, often distally short-pilose (marginally subsetose with minutely gland-tipped hairs); floral bract coriaceous, elongate, concave to cochleariform, spreading or often reflexed, oblong, elliptic to oblanceolate, conspicuously striate, 8-12 × 2.5-6 mm, acute, ciliolate, basally subsetose along margin with minutely gland-tipped hairs. Flowers with calyx 3.5-5 mm long, moderately to densely appressed-hirsute with straight or somewhat crisped, golden to ferruginous, eglandular or very rarely minutely gland-tipped hairs (also weakly short-pilose with white hairs at very base, or only pilose), lobes broadly ovate, 2.5-3 × 2-2.2 mm, acuminate, ciliolate and often short-pilose distally within; corolla cylindric-urceolate, subterete to bluntly 5-angled, 6-7(-8) × 4-5 mm, densely appressed subsetose with straight, golden to ferruginous, eglandular hairs, glabrous or short-pilose within, (white?) pink to red when fresh, lobes triangular, obtuse, ca. 1 mm long; stamens 4.3-5 mm long; filaments 3.4-4 mm long, moderately to densely white-villous; anthers 1.6-2 mm long, awns short (inconspicuous); ovary globose, densely short-pilose with white or cinereous hairs (glabrate after anthesis); style 3.5-5 mm long, moderately to densely short-pilose or glabrous. Fruiting calyx globose, 8-10 mm diam., blue-black, persistently pubescent. Chromosome number: n = 11, 2n = 22 (Luteyn & Cotton 11307).

Distribution:

Peru South America| Amazonas Peru South America| Ancash Peru South America| Ayacucho Peru South America| Cajamarca Peru South America| Cusco Peru South America| Huancavelica Peru South America| Huánuco Peru South America| Junín Peru South America| Pasco Peru South America| San Martín Peru South America| Bolivia South America| Cochabamba Bolivia South America| La Paz Bolivia South America| Santa Cruz Bolivia South America|

Common Names:

pachyla-pachyla, rhinnin cussau