Monographs Details:
Authority:

1952. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 63.
Family:

Ericaceae
Description:

Species Description - Epiphytic shrub, trailing and rooting at nodes; stem terete or subterete, thin, 2 mm diam., puberulent; bark thin, exfoliating, reddish-brown; twigs subterete, striate to ribbed, densely white puberulent and also hispid with multicellular, glandular-capitate hairs to 0.7 mm long. Leaves inflated, succulent, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 2-5 x 1-3 cm, base cuneate and obtuse or rounded, apex obtuse or nearly rounded, margin entire and seemingly thickened, very weakly puberulent on both surfaces and along margin with simple white hairs, also hispid with scattered glandular-capitate hairs along margin and on surface beneath, glabrate; 3-5-plinerved from base, midrib impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves slightly raised on both surfaces, reticulate veinlets obscure; petiole subterete, rugose, 2-4 mm long and 1-2 mm diam., white puberulent with simple hairs and also moderately hispid with glandular-capitate hairs. Inflorescence axillary, subfasciculate, 1-3-flowered; floral bract ovate, ca. 1 mm long; pedicel subterete, striate, 4-18 mm long, densely white puberulent and copiously glandular-hispid; bracteoles located midway along pedicel, linear-subulate, 1.5-2 mm long, glandular-hispid. Flowers with calyx ca. 6-8 mm long, white puberulent and also densely hispid with setose, glandular-capitate hairs; hypanthium cylindric to obconic, terete to possibly 5-angled, 2-4 mm long and ca. 3 mm diam. at apex; limb erect-spreading, 4.5-5.5 mm long; lobes narrowly triangular to linear-subulate, long-acuminate, (2-)4-4.5 x ca. 1 mm; sinuses obtuse; corolla cylindric, 16-21 mm long and 3-5 mm diam., short-pilose with white, simple hairs and also hispid with scattered glandular-capitate hairs, crimson (fide label data), the lobes oblong, obtuse, 2.5-4 x ca. 2 mm; stamen 15-17 mm long; filaments distinct, 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers 15.5-17.5 mm long; thecae smooth, 2.5-3 mm long; tubules 12-15 mm long, with strictly terminal, slightly flaring pores; nectariferous disc annular, pulvinate, glabrous; style to 22 mm long, glabrous. Berry not seen.

Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador and only known from three collections; forest (?) at 1341-2000 m. Rare and endangered.