Monographs Details:
Authority:
1837. Icon. Pl. 2: pl. 109.
1837. Icon. Pl. 2: pl. 109.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Epiphytic shrub with branches to 4 m long; stem terete, striate to ribbed, nitid, glabrous; twigs subterete, complanate, bluntly angled, glabrous or puberulent. Leaves coriaceous, flat or rarely somewhat bullate, ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, rarely oblanceolate or obovate, 1.9-5.5(-8.5) x 0.9-2.5(-4) cm, base broadly obtuse to cuneate or attenuate, apex obtuse, rounded, or acute and long- to short-acuminate, glabrous but sometimes persistently glandular-fimbriate on both surfaces; 3(-5)-plinerved from near or above the base, the midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets obscure to slightly raised on both surfaces; petiole subterete, flattened above, glabrous or puberulent, 2-4 mm long. Inflorescence axillary, fasciculate, 1-3(-4)-flowered, surrounded at base by a series of ovate, obtuse bracts to 3 mm long; rachis none; floral bract ovate, obtuse, 1-2 mm long, marginally glandular-fimbriate; pedicel subterete, striate, 4-8 mm long, glabrous to puberulent, also sparsely to densely glandular-fimbriate; bracteoles basal, ovate to oblong, acute to rounded, 1.2-1.5(-3) x ca. 2-3 mm, usually densely glandular-fimbriate all over. Flowers with calyx (obscurely) articulate with pedicel, ca. 6.5-10 mm long, glabrous or puerulent, also scattered to densely glandular-fimbriate; hypanthium cylindric-obconical, 5-angled or winged, 4.5-6.5 mm long; limb spreading-campanulate, 2.5-4 mm long, truncate or nearly so; lobes apiculate to almost lacking; corolla tubular, slightly widening distally, terete not angled, (16-)18-25 mm long and 3-4 mm diam., glabrous or puberulent without but densely short-pilose at throat within, also moderately to densely glandular-fimbriate, red to orangish-red over entire length, the lobes oblong-ovate, obtuse to acute, 2-3 mm long; stamen 10-13 mm long; filaments connate into a tube, 4-5.5 mm long, glabrous, the connectives alternately shouldered; anthers 6.5-8 mm long; thecae ca. 4 mm long; tubules fused into one, 2.5-3.5 mm long, dehiscing by an oval cleft 2-2.5 mm long; style equalling corolla or slightly exserted, 21-22 mm long, glabrous. Berry obloid, ca. 10 mm long and 8 mm diam., pale yellowish-green (seen only in cultivation).
Distribution and Ecology - Central Ecuador and northern Peru; premontane wet and rainforest, to montane wet forest, at 900-2300 m altitude. Cultivated ABG, E, NCSC, NY.
Species Description - Epiphytic shrub with branches to 4 m long; stem terete, striate to ribbed, nitid, glabrous; twigs subterete, complanate, bluntly angled, glabrous or puberulent. Leaves coriaceous, flat or rarely somewhat bullate, ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, rarely oblanceolate or obovate, 1.9-5.5(-8.5) x 0.9-2.5(-4) cm, base broadly obtuse to cuneate or attenuate, apex obtuse, rounded, or acute and long- to short-acuminate, glabrous but sometimes persistently glandular-fimbriate on both surfaces; 3(-5)-plinerved from near or above the base, the midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets obscure to slightly raised on both surfaces; petiole subterete, flattened above, glabrous or puberulent, 2-4 mm long. Inflorescence axillary, fasciculate, 1-3(-4)-flowered, surrounded at base by a series of ovate, obtuse bracts to 3 mm long; rachis none; floral bract ovate, obtuse, 1-2 mm long, marginally glandular-fimbriate; pedicel subterete, striate, 4-8 mm long, glabrous to puberulent, also sparsely to densely glandular-fimbriate; bracteoles basal, ovate to oblong, acute to rounded, 1.2-1.5(-3) x ca. 2-3 mm, usually densely glandular-fimbriate all over. Flowers with calyx (obscurely) articulate with pedicel, ca. 6.5-10 mm long, glabrous or puerulent, also scattered to densely glandular-fimbriate; hypanthium cylindric-obconical, 5-angled or winged, 4.5-6.5 mm long; limb spreading-campanulate, 2.5-4 mm long, truncate or nearly so; lobes apiculate to almost lacking; corolla tubular, slightly widening distally, terete not angled, (16-)18-25 mm long and 3-4 mm diam., glabrous or puberulent without but densely short-pilose at throat within, also moderately to densely glandular-fimbriate, red to orangish-red over entire length, the lobes oblong-ovate, obtuse to acute, 2-3 mm long; stamen 10-13 mm long; filaments connate into a tube, 4-5.5 mm long, glabrous, the connectives alternately shouldered; anthers 6.5-8 mm long; thecae ca. 4 mm long; tubules fused into one, 2.5-3.5 mm long, dehiscing by an oval cleft 2-2.5 mm long; style equalling corolla or slightly exserted, 21-22 mm long, glabrous. Berry obloid, ca. 10 mm long and 8 mm diam., pale yellowish-green (seen only in cultivation).
Distribution and Ecology - Central Ecuador and northern Peru; premontane wet and rainforest, to montane wet forest, at 900-2300 m altitude. Cultivated ABG, E, NCSC, NY.