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)
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
Ericaceae
Synonyms:
Gaultheria barbata Small, Gaultheria setosa Small, Gaultheria gracilis var. intermedia Suess. & R.Goepp.
Gaultheria barbata Small, Gaultheria setosa Small, Gaultheria gracilis var. intermedia Suess. & R.Goepp.
Description:
Species Description - Terrestrial or sometimes epiphytic shrub, 0.4-2 m tall; mature stems terete, striate, glabrous; bark fissured, cracking into longitudinal strips, brown, grayish, or blackish; twigs terete, glabrous to puberulent, and also moderately to densely appressed-strigose with rigid, straight, basally swollen, tan to hyaline, eglandular hairs to 2.5 mm long (hirsute with stramineous to dark brown hairs 1-4(-5) mm long, or glabrate and then appearing reddish punctate from remaining swollen bases of hairs); buds ovate, scales striate, glabrous or puberulent but ciliate, light brown. Leaves coriaceous, surface flat (± bullate), elliptic to ovate-elliptic, (3-)4-6(-8.5) × (1-) 1.5-2.5(-3.5) cm, base acute, or cuneate to obtuse (rounded), apex long-acuminate to acute, margin minutely and inconspicuously serrulate with each tooth terminating in an appressed bristle 1-2.2 mm long, sparsely to densely appressed strigose above with deciduous, basally swollen hairs to 2 mm long, conspicuously and usually densely appressed strigose beneath with stramineous to ferruginous hairs to 3 mm long; midrib impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves (2-3 per side) impressed to slightly raised above and conspicuously raised beneath, reticulate veinlets moderately raised on both surfaces; petiole subterete, flattened and sometimes strongly canaliculate above, appearing papillate from swollen bases of deciduous hairs, 4-7 mm long, short-puberulent or glabrate and often also strigose with hairs to 2.5 mm long. Inflorescence racemose, 6-9(-14)-flowered; rachis subterete, often ridged, (2-)3-7(-8) cm long, moderately to densely short-pilose with white hairs (also bearing few, spreading, minutely gland-tipped hairs to 4 mm long, or densely strigose with eglandular hairs); pedicels terete, striate, 5-10(-12) mm long, moderately to densely short-pilose (densely strigose); bracteoles continuous with and borne along middle half of pedicel, strongly divergent, papyraceous, linear to narrowly oblong, 2-4.5 × 0.5-1 mm, ciliolate and sometimes densely short-pilose at tip (strigose); floral bract persistent, continuous with pedicel (not rachis), membranous to chartaceous, conspicuously striate, cucullate, strongly divergent from the pedicel, broadly elliptic to spatulate, 3-10(-14) × 2-6 mm, ciliate (glandular-fimbriate distally), puberulous or glabrous on both surfaces (also densely strigose on outer surface). Flowers with calyx glabrous (or densely strigose-villous), 3.5-5 mm long, lobes ovate to deltoid, 2-3 x 1.8-2.5 mm, acute to acuminate, ciliate, short-pilose within; corolla urceolate to cylindric-urceolate, terete, 4-8 × 3-4 mm, glabrous or moderately to densely strigose (densely strigose-villous with stramineous to golden-tawny, eglandular or minutely gland-tipped hairs 0.2-0.6 mm long), puberulent within, greenish or white to rose when fresh, lobes oblong to triangular, 1-1.5 mm long; stamens 2.3-3 mm long; filaments 1.5-2.2 mm long, glabrous or weakly pilose; anthers 1-1.3 mm long, awns prominent; ovary glabrous or weakly short-pilose; style 2.5-4 mm long, glabrous. Fruiting calyx to 9 mm diam., glabrous, blue-black.
Species Description - Terrestrial or sometimes epiphytic shrub, 0.4-2 m tall; mature stems terete, striate, glabrous; bark fissured, cracking into longitudinal strips, brown, grayish, or blackish; twigs terete, glabrous to puberulent, and also moderately to densely appressed-strigose with rigid, straight, basally swollen, tan to hyaline, eglandular hairs to 2.5 mm long (hirsute with stramineous to dark brown hairs 1-4(-5) mm long, or glabrate and then appearing reddish punctate from remaining swollen bases of hairs); buds ovate, scales striate, glabrous or puberulent but ciliate, light brown. Leaves coriaceous, surface flat (± bullate), elliptic to ovate-elliptic, (3-)4-6(-8.5) × (1-) 1.5-2.5(-3.5) cm, base acute, or cuneate to obtuse (rounded), apex long-acuminate to acute, margin minutely and inconspicuously serrulate with each tooth terminating in an appressed bristle 1-2.2 mm long, sparsely to densely appressed strigose above with deciduous, basally swollen hairs to 2 mm long, conspicuously and usually densely appressed strigose beneath with stramineous to ferruginous hairs to 3 mm long; midrib impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves (2-3 per side) impressed to slightly raised above and conspicuously raised beneath, reticulate veinlets moderately raised on both surfaces; petiole subterete, flattened and sometimes strongly canaliculate above, appearing papillate from swollen bases of deciduous hairs, 4-7 mm long, short-puberulent or glabrate and often also strigose with hairs to 2.5 mm long. Inflorescence racemose, 6-9(-14)-flowered; rachis subterete, often ridged, (2-)3-7(-8) cm long, moderately to densely short-pilose with white hairs (also bearing few, spreading, minutely gland-tipped hairs to 4 mm long, or densely strigose with eglandular hairs); pedicels terete, striate, 5-10(-12) mm long, moderately to densely short-pilose (densely strigose); bracteoles continuous with and borne along middle half of pedicel, strongly divergent, papyraceous, linear to narrowly oblong, 2-4.5 × 0.5-1 mm, ciliolate and sometimes densely short-pilose at tip (strigose); floral bract persistent, continuous with pedicel (not rachis), membranous to chartaceous, conspicuously striate, cucullate, strongly divergent from the pedicel, broadly elliptic to spatulate, 3-10(-14) × 2-6 mm, ciliate (glandular-fimbriate distally), puberulous or glabrous on both surfaces (also densely strigose on outer surface). Flowers with calyx glabrous (or densely strigose-villous), 3.5-5 mm long, lobes ovate to deltoid, 2-3 x 1.8-2.5 mm, acute to acuminate, ciliate, short-pilose within; corolla urceolate to cylindric-urceolate, terete, 4-8 × 3-4 mm, glabrous or moderately to densely strigose (densely strigose-villous with stramineous to golden-tawny, eglandular or minutely gland-tipped hairs 0.2-0.6 mm long), puberulent within, greenish or white to rose when fresh, lobes oblong to triangular, 1-1.5 mm long; stamens 2.3-3 mm long; filaments 1.5-2.2 mm long, glabrous or weakly pilose; anthers 1-1.3 mm long, awns prominent; ovary glabrous or weakly short-pilose; style 2.5-4 mm long, glabrous. Fruiting calyx to 9 mm diam., glabrous, blue-black.
Discussion:
Gaultheria gracilis is characterized by its strigose branches; flat (not bullate), long-acuminate leaves with strongly canaliculate petioles; reflexed floral bracts; linear and medially located bracteoles; glabrous calyx; and white, short-pilose rachis and pedicels.The species shows some variation in its indumentum. The branches, which are normally appressed strigose, may have spreading hairs ( = G. barbata), or the corolla may be glabrous ( = G. setosa) to densely strigose. But these variations are matters of degree and may often occur within populations. Very rarely, specimens from Chiriquí Prov., Panama (cf. Werff & Herrera 6305 and Maas & Dressier 4991, both NY), have densely strigose indumentum on the entire inflorescence, including the rachis, pedicels, bracts, calyx, and corolla densely strigose, thus approaching G. strigosa in some salient features.Middleton (1991b) placed G. gracilis in ser. Domingenses. However, I believe it is more closely related to G. strigosa and G. insipida of ser. Insipidae. The three species have in common appressed-strigose branches, leaves, and often inflorescences; often bullate leaves; and also bracts and bracteoles which are continuous (not articulate) with the pedicels. The specific differences are mentioned in the key. Gaultheria gracilis differs from these species by its long-acuminate leaves, prominently awned anthers, densely white pilose rachis and pedicels, shape of the floral bracts, and Central American distribution- in these characters it resembles members of ser. Domingenses. It is possible, however, that G. gracilis is related to G. erecta sensu lato, with the shape and texture of the floral bracts being indicative.The floral bracts of G. gracilis are rarely adnate to the pedicel for up to 1 mm, a feature also sometimes seen in G. erecta. In Central America the two species may hybridize, giving rise to populations of G. gracilis with glandular indumentum.
Gaultheria gracilis is characterized by its strigose branches; flat (not bullate), long-acuminate leaves with strongly canaliculate petioles; reflexed floral bracts; linear and medially located bracteoles; glabrous calyx; and white, short-pilose rachis and pedicels.The species shows some variation in its indumentum. The branches, which are normally appressed strigose, may have spreading hairs ( = G. barbata), or the corolla may be glabrous ( = G. setosa) to densely strigose. But these variations are matters of degree and may often occur within populations. Very rarely, specimens from Chiriquí Prov., Panama (cf. Werff & Herrera 6305 and Maas & Dressier 4991, both NY), have densely strigose indumentum on the entire inflorescence, including the rachis, pedicels, bracts, calyx, and corolla densely strigose, thus approaching G. strigosa in some salient features.Middleton (1991b) placed G. gracilis in ser. Domingenses. However, I believe it is more closely related to G. strigosa and G. insipida of ser. Insipidae. The three species have in common appressed-strigose branches, leaves, and often inflorescences; often bullate leaves; and also bracts and bracteoles which are continuous (not articulate) with the pedicels. The specific differences are mentioned in the key. Gaultheria gracilis differs from these species by its long-acuminate leaves, prominently awned anthers, densely white pilose rachis and pedicels, shape of the floral bracts, and Central American distribution- in these characters it resembles members of ser. Domingenses. It is possible, however, that G. gracilis is related to G. erecta sensu lato, with the shape and texture of the floral bracts being indicative.The floral bracts of G. gracilis are rarely adnate to the pedicel for up to 1 mm, a feature also sometimes seen in G. erecta. In Central America the two species may hybridize, giving rise to populations of G. gracilis with glandular indumentum.
Distribution:
Costa Rica South America| Alajuela Costa Rica Central America| Cartago Costa Rica Central America| Heredia Costa Rica Central America| Limón Costa Rica Central America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Bocas del Toro Panamá Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Veraguas Panama Central America|
Costa Rica South America| Alajuela Costa Rica Central America| Cartago Costa Rica Central America| Heredia Costa Rica Central America| Limón Costa Rica Central America| San José Costa Rica Central America| Panama Central America| Bocas del Toro Panamá Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Veraguas Panama Central America|
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