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
Description:
Species Description - Erect shrub 0.5-2 m tall; mature stem terete, striate, glabrate; bark thin, cracking into longitudinal strips, grayish-brown; twigs subterete, striate, papillate, minutely puberulent with whitish hairs, also densely hirsute with straight or distally crisped, eglandular, ferruginous hairs to 2 mm long, these becoming canescent and glabrate; buds subglobose, scales broadly ovate, rounded, densely canescent dorsally, ciliolate. Leaves coriaceous, sometimes slightly concave, sometimes somewhat clasping stem, broadly ovate to ovate-elliptic, (2.5-)3.5-5.5 × (1.5-)2-3.5 cm, base conspicuously cordate, apex abruptly short-acuminate, serrulate, finely white puberulent along veins above and also deciduously hirsute with thin, scattered, straight, eglandular hairs to 2 mm long, densely and persistently hirsute below with thin, crisped, eglandular, ferruginous hairs ca. 1.5 mm long; midrib, lateral nerves (2-3 per side), and reticulate veinlets all impressed above often causing leaves to be somewhat bullate, all veins slightly raised and conspicuous beneath; petiole subterete, rugose, papillate, 3-5 mm long, densely hirsute as twigs. Inflorescence racemose, 6-10-flowered, circumscribed at base by a series of ovate, striate, puberulent bracts to 3 mm long; rachis subterete, bluntly angled, 1-3 cm long, densely white puberulent, also moderately to densely hirsute with straight or distally crisped, eglandular, ferruginous hairs to 0.75 mm long; pedicels terete, 4-5 mm long, pubescent as rachis; bracteoles located about midway along pedicel, striate, ovate, 3 × 1 mm, acuminate, densely white or canescent puberulent especially distally and also eglandular, ferruginous hirsute on both surfaces; floral bract striate, ± cochleariform, ovate to oblanceolate, 6-8 × 2.5-3 mm, acute to acuminate, puberulent especially distally within and also hirsute as bracteoles on both surfaces. Calyx 3-4 mm long, densely white puberulent especially at base and also moderately densely hirsute with straight, eglandular or minutely gland-tipped, ferruginous hairs, lobes ovate-deltate, 2.5-3 × 2-2.5 mm, acuminate, densely canescent puberulent within; corolla terete, cylindric-urceolate, 5-6 × 4-5 mm, white puberulent and also densely hirsute with straight or distally crisped, minutely gland-tipped, ferruginous hairs, short-pilose within, white to pinkish when fresh, lobes ovate, ca. 1 mm long, acute; stamens ca. 4 mm long; filaments 1-1.5 mm long, densely pilose; anther 1-1.2 mm long, awns short but conspicuous; ovary densely short-pilose; style 3-4 mm long, pilose at base. Fruiting calyx ca. 8 mm diam., pilose and with scattered hirsute hairs, seemingly blue-black.
Species Description - Erect shrub 0.5-2 m tall; mature stem terete, striate, glabrate; bark thin, cracking into longitudinal strips, grayish-brown; twigs subterete, striate, papillate, minutely puberulent with whitish hairs, also densely hirsute with straight or distally crisped, eglandular, ferruginous hairs to 2 mm long, these becoming canescent and glabrate; buds subglobose, scales broadly ovate, rounded, densely canescent dorsally, ciliolate. Leaves coriaceous, sometimes slightly concave, sometimes somewhat clasping stem, broadly ovate to ovate-elliptic, (2.5-)3.5-5.5 × (1.5-)2-3.5 cm, base conspicuously cordate, apex abruptly short-acuminate, serrulate, finely white puberulent along veins above and also deciduously hirsute with thin, scattered, straight, eglandular hairs to 2 mm long, densely and persistently hirsute below with thin, crisped, eglandular, ferruginous hairs ca. 1.5 mm long; midrib, lateral nerves (2-3 per side), and reticulate veinlets all impressed above often causing leaves to be somewhat bullate, all veins slightly raised and conspicuous beneath; petiole subterete, rugose, papillate, 3-5 mm long, densely hirsute as twigs. Inflorescence racemose, 6-10-flowered, circumscribed at base by a series of ovate, striate, puberulent bracts to 3 mm long; rachis subterete, bluntly angled, 1-3 cm long, densely white puberulent, also moderately to densely hirsute with straight or distally crisped, eglandular, ferruginous hairs to 0.75 mm long; pedicels terete, 4-5 mm long, pubescent as rachis; bracteoles located about midway along pedicel, striate, ovate, 3 × 1 mm, acuminate, densely white or canescent puberulent especially distally and also eglandular, ferruginous hirsute on both surfaces; floral bract striate, ± cochleariform, ovate to oblanceolate, 6-8 × 2.5-3 mm, acute to acuminate, puberulent especially distally within and also hirsute as bracteoles on both surfaces. Calyx 3-4 mm long, densely white puberulent especially at base and also moderately densely hirsute with straight, eglandular or minutely gland-tipped, ferruginous hairs, lobes ovate-deltate, 2.5-3 × 2-2.5 mm, acuminate, densely canescent puberulent within; corolla terete, cylindric-urceolate, 5-6 × 4-5 mm, white puberulent and also densely hirsute with straight or distally crisped, minutely gland-tipped, ferruginous hairs, short-pilose within, white to pinkish when fresh, lobes ovate, ca. 1 mm long, acute; stamens ca. 4 mm long; filaments 1-1.5 mm long, densely pilose; anther 1-1.2 mm long, awns short but conspicuous; ovary densely short-pilose; style 3-4 mm long, pilose at base. Fruiting calyx ca. 8 mm diam., pilose and with scattered hirsute hairs, seemingly blue-black.
Discussion:
Gaultheria chiriquensis is characterized by stems and inflorescences which are densely and persistently pilose and also densely hirsute with eglandular (or minutely gland-tipped), somewhat crisped hairs; small, cordate, abruptly short-acuminate leaves which are persistently and densely soft hirsute beneath with eglandular hairs; and short, few-flowered inflorescence.It is most closely related to G. erecta, with which it sometimes grows, but is distinguished from that species by the characters mentioned above. It is also similar to the Colombian G. santanderensis by virtue of its persistent leaf indumentum, although in G. chiriquensis the hairs are eglandular, the flowers much smaller, the rachis shorter, etc. The similarities of G. chiriquensis with G. hirtiflora ( = G. erecta) (i.e., plant size and appearance) and G. pichinchensis ( = G. glomerata) (i.e., hirsute indumentum and leaf size and shape) mentioned by Camp in the protologue do not seem to indicate relationships.
Gaultheria chiriquensis is characterized by stems and inflorescences which are densely and persistently pilose and also densely hirsute with eglandular (or minutely gland-tipped), somewhat crisped hairs; small, cordate, abruptly short-acuminate leaves which are persistently and densely soft hirsute beneath with eglandular hairs; and short, few-flowered inflorescence.It is most closely related to G. erecta, with which it sometimes grows, but is distinguished from that species by the characters mentioned above. It is also similar to the Colombian G. santanderensis by virtue of its persistent leaf indumentum, although in G. chiriquensis the hairs are eglandular, the flowers much smaller, the rachis shorter, etc. The similarities of G. chiriquensis with G. hirtiflora ( = G. erecta) (i.e., plant size and appearance) and G. pichinchensis ( = G. glomerata) (i.e., hirsute indumentum and leaf size and shape) mentioned by Camp in the protologue do not seem to indicate relationships.
Distribution:
Panama Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America|
Panama Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America|