Monographs Details:
Authority:
1987. Opera Bot. 92: 118, fig. 6D-H.
1987. Opera Bot. 92: 118, fig. 6D-H.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub to 2.5 m tall, with young stems, leaves beneath, and all parts of inflorescence covered by grayish-white pubescence; stem terete, striate, glabrate; twigs complanate, hoary. Leaves coriaceous, sometimes bullate, elliptic or lanceolate, 2-7 x 1.5-3.5 cm, base rounded or cuneate, apex bluntly to sharply acute or short-acuminate, glabrous above, but covered beneath with short hairs so dense as to give a whitish appearance and obscure the actual surface; 3-5-plinerved from near the base, the midrib and lateral nerves slightly to deeply impressed above and raised beneath, only midrib conspicuous beneath, veinlets slightly raised but obscure on both surfaces; petiole subterete, somewhat canaliculate abaxially, rugose, 3-7 mm long, glabrate. Inflorescence solitary, racemose,ca. 15-flowered, weakly glandular-fimbriate and canescent-hoary throughout except for corolla; rachis bluntly angled,ca. 2 cm long; floral bract narrowly ovate, obtuse to acute, 3-5(-12) mm long, red, marginally glandular-fimbriate; pedicel subterete, angled,ca. 7-9 mm long; bracteoles located near base or about midway up the pedicel, similar to floral bract, butca. 2-4.5 mm long. Flowers with calyxca. 4 mm long, red; hypanthium obconic,ca. 1 mm long; limb campanulate-rotate,ca. 3 mm long; lobes triangular, acute, callose-spurred dorsally,ca. 0.75 mm long, the spur seemingly callose tissue dorsal to the lobe and strongly laterally compressed when dry; sinuses acute when fresh but broadly rounded when dry; corolla thick-carnose, globose-urceolate, very broadly pentagonal,ca. 5-8 mm long andca. 10 mm diam., obscurely pilose, with scattered glandular fimbriae, pale waxy yellow, the lobes erect-spreading, triangular,ca. 1 mm long, sometimes tipped with marronish color; stamen ca. 4 mm long; filaments distinct or weakly coherent at base,ca. 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous, attached to the thecae near the top, without spurs; anthersca. 3-4 mm long; thecae conspicuously papillose,ca. 2-3.3 mm long, very broad and strongly laterally compressed; tubules distinct,ca. 1 mm long, dehiscing by spreading cleftsca. 0.4 mm long; nectariferous disc annular, thick, conspicuous. Mature berry not seen, but immature spherical,ca. 14 mm diam, turning purplish.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador (Napo Prov.); montane wet forest to elfin forest, at 2800-3300 m altitude.
Species Description - Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub to 2.5 m tall, with young stems, leaves beneath, and all parts of inflorescence covered by grayish-white pubescence; stem terete, striate, glabrate; twigs complanate, hoary. Leaves coriaceous, sometimes bullate, elliptic or lanceolate, 2-7 x 1.5-3.5 cm, base rounded or cuneate, apex bluntly to sharply acute or short-acuminate, glabrous above, but covered beneath with short hairs so dense as to give a whitish appearance and obscure the actual surface; 3-5-plinerved from near the base, the midrib and lateral nerves slightly to deeply impressed above and raised beneath, only midrib conspicuous beneath, veinlets slightly raised but obscure on both surfaces; petiole subterete, somewhat canaliculate abaxially, rugose, 3-7 mm long, glabrate. Inflorescence solitary, racemose,ca. 15-flowered, weakly glandular-fimbriate and canescent-hoary throughout except for corolla; rachis bluntly angled,ca. 2 cm long; floral bract narrowly ovate, obtuse to acute, 3-5(-12) mm long, red, marginally glandular-fimbriate; pedicel subterete, angled,ca. 7-9 mm long; bracteoles located near base or about midway up the pedicel, similar to floral bract, butca. 2-4.5 mm long. Flowers with calyxca. 4 mm long, red; hypanthium obconic,ca. 1 mm long; limb campanulate-rotate,ca. 3 mm long; lobes triangular, acute, callose-spurred dorsally,ca. 0.75 mm long, the spur seemingly callose tissue dorsal to the lobe and strongly laterally compressed when dry; sinuses acute when fresh but broadly rounded when dry; corolla thick-carnose, globose-urceolate, very broadly pentagonal,ca. 5-8 mm long andca. 10 mm diam., obscurely pilose, with scattered glandular fimbriae, pale waxy yellow, the lobes erect-spreading, triangular,ca. 1 mm long, sometimes tipped with marronish color; stamen ca. 4 mm long; filaments distinct or weakly coherent at base,ca. 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous, attached to the thecae near the top, without spurs; anthersca. 3-4 mm long; thecae conspicuously papillose,ca. 2-3.3 mm long, very broad and strongly laterally compressed; tubules distinct,ca. 1 mm long, dehiscing by spreading cleftsca. 0.4 mm long; nectariferous disc annular, thick, conspicuous. Mature berry not seen, but immature spherical,ca. 14 mm diam, turning purplish.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador (Napo Prov.); montane wet forest to elfin forest, at 2800-3300 m altitude.
Discussion:
Illustration Luteyn (1996), fig. 11D-H, plate 2 Conservation Status: Rare and endangered.
Illustration Luteyn (1996), fig. 11D-H, plate 2 Conservation Status: Rare and endangered.
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