Monographs Details:
Authority:
1996. Fl. Ecuador. 54: 188.
1996. Fl. Ecuador. 54: 188.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Epiphytic shrub; stem terete, striate, bark exfoliating in thin strips, nitid, glabrous; twigs subterete, bluntly complanate, striate, nitid, glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, narrowly ovate-elliptic, 12.5-19.5 x 3.5-6 cm, base rounded, apex acuminate, margin entire, lamina glabrous but with two to several circular, concave, blackish glandsca. 0.2-0.3 mm diam. near base beneath; pinnately nerved withca. 4-5 pairs of lateral nerves per side, midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces; petiole subterete, stout, slightly winged, carinate,ca. 5-6 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence cauliflorous on older stems, solitary, racemose, 10-15-flowered; rachis subterete, congested,ca. 1-1.5 cm long, glabrous; floral bract triangular, acuminate, 1-2 mm long, reflexed post-anthesis, glabrous; pedicel subterete, striate, 15-18 mm long, glabrous; bracteoles nearly basal, ovate, acuminate,ca. 0.7-1 mm long, marginally scarious. Flowers with calyxca. 3-4 mm long, glabrous; hypanthium cylindric-campanulate,ca. 1.5-2 mm long, the base rounded; limb campanulate, wide-spreading,ca. 2 mm long; lobes broadly ovate-deltate, acuminate to apiculate,ca. 1 mm long, margins appearing torn; sinuses acute; corolla cylindric, twice-constricted: weakly constricted about the middle and abruptly and strongly constricted distally near the throat,ca. 15 mm long and 3-4 mm diam. when dry, glabrous but with glandular fimbriae distal to constriction (i.e., along throat), orange to reddish-orange below constriction, pale green distally, the lobes spreading, narrowly oblong-ovate, acute,ca. 3-4 mm long, green; stamenca. 8.5-9 mm long; filaments distinct,ca. 2.5-3.5 mm long, densely puberulent along margin, the connectives alternately minutely spurred, these present but inconspicuous; anthersca. 7-8 mm long; thecae 4.5-6 mm long, the base narrowed and often incurved; tubules distinct to basally connate, somewhat geniculate, 2.5-3 mm long, dehiscing by clefts, 1-1.3 mm long; style very long-exserted, 22-27 mm long, glabrous, the exserted portion reddish. Berry not seen.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador (Morona-Santiago) and known only from two collections; primary moist forest at 1400-1600 m altitude.
Species Description - Epiphytic shrub; stem terete, striate, bark exfoliating in thin strips, nitid, glabrous; twigs subterete, bluntly complanate, striate, nitid, glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, narrowly ovate-elliptic, 12.5-19.5 x 3.5-6 cm, base rounded, apex acuminate, margin entire, lamina glabrous but with two to several circular, concave, blackish glandsca. 0.2-0.3 mm diam. near base beneath; pinnately nerved withca. 4-5 pairs of lateral nerves per side, midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces; petiole subterete, stout, slightly winged, carinate,ca. 5-6 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence cauliflorous on older stems, solitary, racemose, 10-15-flowered; rachis subterete, congested,ca. 1-1.5 cm long, glabrous; floral bract triangular, acuminate, 1-2 mm long, reflexed post-anthesis, glabrous; pedicel subterete, striate, 15-18 mm long, glabrous; bracteoles nearly basal, ovate, acuminate,ca. 0.7-1 mm long, marginally scarious. Flowers with calyxca. 3-4 mm long, glabrous; hypanthium cylindric-campanulate,ca. 1.5-2 mm long, the base rounded; limb campanulate, wide-spreading,ca. 2 mm long; lobes broadly ovate-deltate, acuminate to apiculate,ca. 1 mm long, margins appearing torn; sinuses acute; corolla cylindric, twice-constricted: weakly constricted about the middle and abruptly and strongly constricted distally near the throat,ca. 15 mm long and 3-4 mm diam. when dry, glabrous but with glandular fimbriae distal to constriction (i.e., along throat), orange to reddish-orange below constriction, pale green distally, the lobes spreading, narrowly oblong-ovate, acute,ca. 3-4 mm long, green; stamenca. 8.5-9 mm long; filaments distinct,ca. 2.5-3.5 mm long, densely puberulent along margin, the connectives alternately minutely spurred, these present but inconspicuous; anthersca. 7-8 mm long; thecae 4.5-6 mm long, the base narrowed and often incurved; tubules distinct to basally connate, somewhat geniculate, 2.5-3 mm long, dehiscing by clefts, 1-1.3 mm long; style very long-exserted, 22-27 mm long, glabrous, the exserted portion reddish. Berry not seen.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador (Morona-Santiago) and known only from two collections; primary moist forest at 1400-1600 m altitude.