Monographs Details:
Authority:
1996. Fl. Ecuador. 54: 292.
1996. Fl. Ecuador. 54: 292.
Family:
Ericaceae
Ericaceae
Description:
Species Description - Terrestrial, single-stemmed shrub to ca. 3 m tall or epiphytic and lianoid; stem terete to subterete, bluntly angled, striate, glabrous; twigs subterete, complanate, broadly and bluntly angled from beneath successive nodes, sometimes appearing winged, striate, glabrous; bud scales narrowly lanceolate to aristate, long-acuminate, 7-9 mm long. Leaves membranous, elliptic to lanceolate, 24-36 x 5-14.5 cm, base broadly cuneate to obtuse, apex acuminate, margin flat, glabrous but lower surface with tiny, appressed, glandular-fimbriae ca. 0.3 mm long; 5(-7)-plinerved, the inner pair of nerves separating 3-8 cm above the base, midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and prominently raised beneath, reticulate veinlets plane to weakly raised but inconspicuous above, slightly raised and conspicuous beneath; petiole subterete, stout, slightly flattened above, rugose, 7-21 mm long and 4-5 mm diam., puberulent, glabrate. Inflorescence axillary, ramiflorous being borne apparently 2-5 per axil (pin-cushion type) on older stems after leaves have fallen, racemose, (3-)5-7-flowered, each rachis surrounded at the base by a series of oblong-ovate bracts to ca. 2.5 mm long; rachis subterete, bluntly- to sharply-angled, striate, 5-10 mm long, glabrous but minutely glandular-fimbriate; floral bract persistent, ovate, long-acuminate, 2.5-4 x 1-1.5 mm, glabrous; pedicel terete, striate, 8-18 mm long, minutely glandular-fimbriate; bracteoles located near the base, similar to floral bract but more aristeate and 1.5-2.5 x 0.5-1.5 mm. Flower with calyx continuous with pedicel, 4.5-6 mm long, sharply winged along entire length opposite the sinuses, glabrous but minutely glandular-fimbriate; hypanthium cylindric, 2.5-4.5 mm long, minutely papillose; limb cylindric-campanulate, 1.5-2.5 mm long; lobes apiculate, < 0.5 mm long; sinuses flat, ciliolate; corolla carnose, cylindric but tapering distally, winged along entire length opposite the lobes, 34-40 mm long and 6-7 mm diam. (not including wings), glabrous but with a few, scattered minute glandular-fimbriae, pink to red, the wings 2-3 mm broad, the lobes oblong-ovate, acute, 3-4 mm long, white to red; stamens equal, 29-34 mm long; filaments distinct but weakly coherent, 5-8 mm long, glabrous; anthers 26.5-31 mm long; thecae smooth, 7-15 mm long, the bases long-tapering and there weakly laterally coherent; tubules distinct to base, 11.5-14 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 8 mm long; style ca. 33 mm long, glabrous. Berry not seen.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador and known only from ca. 6 collections; rainforest, to premontane wet forest, at 250-1350 m altitude.
Species Description - Terrestrial, single-stemmed shrub to ca. 3 m tall or epiphytic and lianoid; stem terete to subterete, bluntly angled, striate, glabrous; twigs subterete, complanate, broadly and bluntly angled from beneath successive nodes, sometimes appearing winged, striate, glabrous; bud scales narrowly lanceolate to aristate, long-acuminate, 7-9 mm long. Leaves membranous, elliptic to lanceolate, 24-36 x 5-14.5 cm, base broadly cuneate to obtuse, apex acuminate, margin flat, glabrous but lower surface with tiny, appressed, glandular-fimbriae ca. 0.3 mm long; 5(-7)-plinerved, the inner pair of nerves separating 3-8 cm above the base, midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and prominently raised beneath, reticulate veinlets plane to weakly raised but inconspicuous above, slightly raised and conspicuous beneath; petiole subterete, stout, slightly flattened above, rugose, 7-21 mm long and 4-5 mm diam., puberulent, glabrate. Inflorescence axillary, ramiflorous being borne apparently 2-5 per axil (pin-cushion type) on older stems after leaves have fallen, racemose, (3-)5-7-flowered, each rachis surrounded at the base by a series of oblong-ovate bracts to ca. 2.5 mm long; rachis subterete, bluntly- to sharply-angled, striate, 5-10 mm long, glabrous but minutely glandular-fimbriate; floral bract persistent, ovate, long-acuminate, 2.5-4 x 1-1.5 mm, glabrous; pedicel terete, striate, 8-18 mm long, minutely glandular-fimbriate; bracteoles located near the base, similar to floral bract but more aristeate and 1.5-2.5 x 0.5-1.5 mm. Flower with calyx continuous with pedicel, 4.5-6 mm long, sharply winged along entire length opposite the sinuses, glabrous but minutely glandular-fimbriate; hypanthium cylindric, 2.5-4.5 mm long, minutely papillose; limb cylindric-campanulate, 1.5-2.5 mm long; lobes apiculate, < 0.5 mm long; sinuses flat, ciliolate; corolla carnose, cylindric but tapering distally, winged along entire length opposite the lobes, 34-40 mm long and 6-7 mm diam. (not including wings), glabrous but with a few, scattered minute glandular-fimbriae, pink to red, the wings 2-3 mm broad, the lobes oblong-ovate, acute, 3-4 mm long, white to red; stamens equal, 29-34 mm long; filaments distinct but weakly coherent, 5-8 mm long, glabrous; anthers 26.5-31 mm long; thecae smooth, 7-15 mm long, the bases long-tapering and there weakly laterally coherent; tubules distinct to base, 11.5-14 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 8 mm long; style ca. 33 mm long, glabrous. Berry not seen.
Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador and known only from ca. 6 collections; rainforest, to premontane wet forest, at 250-1350 m altitude.
Discussion:
Conservation status: Rare and endangered.
Conservation status: Rare and endangered.
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