Monographs Details:
Authority:
1952. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 78.
1952. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 78.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Terrestrial shrub 1-2.5 m tall; stem terete, minutely striate, nitid, glabrate; bark cracking longitudinally in thin strips, grayish-brown; twigs subterete, ribbed, nitid, moderately to densely short-pilose with white hairs 0.8-1 mm long. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 1.8-2.3 x 0.8-1 cm, base rounded and subcordate, apex acute, margin crenate with each tooth terminated by a deciduous, glandular fimbria, glabrous on both surfaces or weakly short-pilose along midrib proximally, sometimes deciduously pilose along margins, moderately glandular-fimbriate beneath; pinnately nerved with 3-4 lateral nerves per side, but on mature leaves all venation obscured or only minutely raised on both surfaces; petiole subterete, flattened and broadly and shallowly canaliculate above, rugose, 4-5 mm long, densely short-pilose, glabrate. Inflorescence axillary, fasciculate, 1-3-flowered, surrounded at the base by a series of inflorescence bracts which are elliptic to broadly ovate, obtuse to rounded, densely ciliate, to ca. 8 mm long and broad; pedicel terete, rugose, 2-2.8 mm long, densely short-pilose; bracteoles nearly basal, linear-lanceolate, 8-9 mm long, ciliate, marginally glandular-fimbriate. Flowers with calyx articulate, ca. 13.5 mm long, bright red; hypanthium obconic to barrel-shaped, weakly ribbed, 3.5 mm long, densely short-pilose; limb spreading, conspicuously striate, 10 mm long, weakly pilose, deeply lobed; lobes conspicuously striate, lanceolate, acute, ca. 9 mm long, glabrous but marginally coarsely glandular-fimbriate; sinuses acute to bluntly acute; corolla cylindric, narrowed slightly to throat, ca. 11.5 mm long and 4 mm diam., densely short-pilose, white to pinkish, the lobes spreading, triangular, acute, ca. 1.5 mm long; stamen ca. 7.5-8 mm long; filaments distinct, ca. 3-4 mm long, densely short-pilose ventrally and marginally in distal half; anthers ca. 5 mm long; thecae ca. 2.5-2.8 mm long, the base strongly incurved and sometimes mucronate; tubules distinct to base, ca. 2.3 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 1.8-2 mm long; style inserted, ca. 9 mm long, glabrous. Berry immature, but subspherical, ca. 11 mm diam., crowned by persistent calyx limb, glabrous, purple.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to S Ecuador; montane cloud forest, elfin forest, to subpáramo thickets, at 2440-3350 m altitude. Rare.
Species Description - Terrestrial shrub 1-2.5 m tall; stem terete, minutely striate, nitid, glabrate; bark cracking longitudinally in thin strips, grayish-brown; twigs subterete, ribbed, nitid, moderately to densely short-pilose with white hairs 0.8-1 mm long. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 1.8-2.3 x 0.8-1 cm, base rounded and subcordate, apex acute, margin crenate with each tooth terminated by a deciduous, glandular fimbria, glabrous on both surfaces or weakly short-pilose along midrib proximally, sometimes deciduously pilose along margins, moderately glandular-fimbriate beneath; pinnately nerved with 3-4 lateral nerves per side, but on mature leaves all venation obscured or only minutely raised on both surfaces; petiole subterete, flattened and broadly and shallowly canaliculate above, rugose, 4-5 mm long, densely short-pilose, glabrate. Inflorescence axillary, fasciculate, 1-3-flowered, surrounded at the base by a series of inflorescence bracts which are elliptic to broadly ovate, obtuse to rounded, densely ciliate, to ca. 8 mm long and broad; pedicel terete, rugose, 2-2.8 mm long, densely short-pilose; bracteoles nearly basal, linear-lanceolate, 8-9 mm long, ciliate, marginally glandular-fimbriate. Flowers with calyx articulate, ca. 13.5 mm long, bright red; hypanthium obconic to barrel-shaped, weakly ribbed, 3.5 mm long, densely short-pilose; limb spreading, conspicuously striate, 10 mm long, weakly pilose, deeply lobed; lobes conspicuously striate, lanceolate, acute, ca. 9 mm long, glabrous but marginally coarsely glandular-fimbriate; sinuses acute to bluntly acute; corolla cylindric, narrowed slightly to throat, ca. 11.5 mm long and 4 mm diam., densely short-pilose, white to pinkish, the lobes spreading, triangular, acute, ca. 1.5 mm long; stamen ca. 7.5-8 mm long; filaments distinct, ca. 3-4 mm long, densely short-pilose ventrally and marginally in distal half; anthers ca. 5 mm long; thecae ca. 2.5-2.8 mm long, the base strongly incurved and sometimes mucronate; tubules distinct to base, ca. 2.3 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 1.8-2 mm long; style inserted, ca. 9 mm long, glabrous. Berry immature, but subspherical, ca. 11 mm diam., crowned by persistent calyx limb, glabrous, purple.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to S Ecuador; montane cloud forest, elfin forest, to subpáramo thickets, at 2440-3350 m altitude. Rare.
Discussion:
Taxonomic notes: emend Luteyn, Brittonia 44(3): 347, fig. 2. 1992.
Taxonomic notes: emend Luteyn, Brittonia 44(3): 347, fig. 2. 1992.
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