Monographs Details:
Authority:
1978. Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh. 36: 255.
1978. Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh. 36: 255.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Epiphytic shrub, sometimes scrambling; stem terete, striate, bark cracking longitudinally, glabrous; twigs subterete, sharply to obtusely angled, nitid, minutely puberulous, glabrate. Leaves chartaceous when dry, ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, (4-)5-13 x (1.5-)1.8-5.5 cm, base broadly obtuse or rounded or inconspicuously subcordate, apex narrowed, long-acuminate to 2 cm long, margin narrowly revolute, glabrous on both surfaces but with few, scattered glandular fimbriae beneath; 5-7-plinerved from near the base, midrib thickened and plane to slightly raised in the proximal 1 cm then impressed distally above and raised beneath, lateral nerves arising from 2-3 cm above base, impressed or plane above but ± raised beneath, reticulate veinlets plane above and raised beneath; petiole subterete, rugulose, 1-2 mm long, obscurely puberulent, glabrate. Inflorescence with flowers axillary, solitary, with small bracts at base; pedicel 10-13 mm long, sparsely puberulent; bracteoles basal, ovate, long-acuminate, ca. 0.3 mm long, glabrate. Flowers with calyx 2.5-4.2 mm long, moderately to densely short-hispidulous with grayish hairs ca. 0.2 mm long, also with scattered glandular fimbriae; hypanthium campanulate, 1.5-2.5 mm long; limb subspreading, shorter than hypanthium, 1-1.7 mm long; lobes triangular, acute, often minute, 0.5-1 mm long; sinuses rounded; corolla thin carnose, cylindric, 9-13 mm long, glabrous, red, the lobes reflexed, deltate, obtuse, to ca. 1 mm long; stamen shorter than corolla, ca. 9 mm long; filaments 5-6 mm long, glabrous or sparsely hispidulus distally; anthers 3.5-5 mm long; thecae 1.2-2 mm long, the base rounded or obscurely mucronate; tubules longer than thecae, ca. 2.3-3 mm long, dehiscing through elongate clefts ca. 0.8-1 mm long; style slightly exserted; nectariferous disc fleshy, annular-pulvinate, glabrous. Berry spherical, capped by persistent calyx limb, 8-9 mm diam., sparsely hispidulous.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador (Morona-Santiago) and known only from four collections; found in premontane to wet montane forest, at 1070-1433 m altitude.
Species Description - Epiphytic shrub, sometimes scrambling; stem terete, striate, bark cracking longitudinally, glabrous; twigs subterete, sharply to obtusely angled, nitid, minutely puberulous, glabrate. Leaves chartaceous when dry, ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, (4-)5-13 x (1.5-)1.8-5.5 cm, base broadly obtuse or rounded or inconspicuously subcordate, apex narrowed, long-acuminate to 2 cm long, margin narrowly revolute, glabrous on both surfaces but with few, scattered glandular fimbriae beneath; 5-7-plinerved from near the base, midrib thickened and plane to slightly raised in the proximal 1 cm then impressed distally above and raised beneath, lateral nerves arising from 2-3 cm above base, impressed or plane above but ± raised beneath, reticulate veinlets plane above and raised beneath; petiole subterete, rugulose, 1-2 mm long, obscurely puberulent, glabrate. Inflorescence with flowers axillary, solitary, with small bracts at base; pedicel 10-13 mm long, sparsely puberulent; bracteoles basal, ovate, long-acuminate, ca. 0.3 mm long, glabrate. Flowers with calyx 2.5-4.2 mm long, moderately to densely short-hispidulous with grayish hairs ca. 0.2 mm long, also with scattered glandular fimbriae; hypanthium campanulate, 1.5-2.5 mm long; limb subspreading, shorter than hypanthium, 1-1.7 mm long; lobes triangular, acute, often minute, 0.5-1 mm long; sinuses rounded; corolla thin carnose, cylindric, 9-13 mm long, glabrous, red, the lobes reflexed, deltate, obtuse, to ca. 1 mm long; stamen shorter than corolla, ca. 9 mm long; filaments 5-6 mm long, glabrous or sparsely hispidulus distally; anthers 3.5-5 mm long; thecae 1.2-2 mm long, the base rounded or obscurely mucronate; tubules longer than thecae, ca. 2.3-3 mm long, dehiscing through elongate clefts ca. 0.8-1 mm long; style slightly exserted; nectariferous disc fleshy, annular-pulvinate, glabrous. Berry spherical, capped by persistent calyx limb, 8-9 mm diam., sparsely hispidulous.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador (Morona-Santiago) and known only from four collections; found in premontane to wet montane forest, at 1070-1433 m altitude.
Discussion:
Conservation Status: Rare and endangered.
Conservation Status: Rare and endangered.