Authority:

Luteyn, James L. 1976. A revision of the Mexican Central American species of Cavendishia (Vacciniaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 28 (3): 1-138.

Family:

Ericaceae

Description:

Species Description - Erect, much-branched, spreading shrub, usuallv epiphytic, 0.5-1.5(-2) m tall; stem base l-3(-15) cm in diameter. Mature branches terete to blunth angled, glabrous; bark brown, rustv brown, gray or almost black; immature branches and twigs of new growth blunth angled, glabrous or densely hirsute with spreading white or yellowish trichomes 0.5 mm long, frequently with clavate, reddish glandular fimbriae about 0.1 mm long. Petioles smooth, striate, or more commonly rugose, subterete or flattened l-3(-5) mm long and 0.5-1 mm in diameter. puberulent becoming glabrate, brown, reddish-brown or blackish. Leaves obovate, oblanceolate, eHiptic, oblong-elliptic, or ovate, 1.5—3(-6) cm long and 0.5-1.5(-3) cm broad, basally cuneate or rounded, apically rounded, obtuse, or rarely abruptly tapering to a blunt tip, dull green, or olive- to grayish-brown, when dry, young leaves densely puberulent, glabrate at maturity; 3—5(-7)-plinerved, midrib impressed or slightiy raised, conspicuous above, raised and conspicuous beneath, lateral nerves slighdv raised and conspicuous, or plane and obscure on both surfaces, veinlets slightiy raised, conspicuous or obscure above, usually obscure beneath. Infiorescence fasciculate. 3-6(-7) flowered; rachis glabrous, 1—3(-7) mm long and 1-1.5 mm in diameter. Floral bracts smooth or muricate, glabrous, obovate, basally narrowed, apically rounded, shallowly emarginate, or rarely acute, 11-14(-19) mm long and 6.5-11 mm broad, purple to reddishpurple, marginally scarious and sparsely glandular-fimbriate. rarely densely dHate, frequendy with scattered, short, thick reddish-brown glandular fimbriae along lamina. Pedicels cylindric or obconic, rugose or obscurely ribbed, sometimes bluntiy angled, glabrous or sparsely pilose distally, (0.5—)1.5-2(—5) mm long and 1-1.5(-2.5) mm in diameter, rardy with reddish-browm glandular fimbriae distally.Bracteoles oblong to oblong-elliptic, (1—)3—6(-8.5) mm long and 1-2 mm broad, basalh truncate, apicaUy obtuse, purple, marginaUy scarious and densely glandular-fimbriate with fimbriae to 0.8 mm long. Calyx 4.5-7.5 mm long: tube cylindric or barrel-shaped, often pentagonal, smooth or minutely rugose, 1—3 mm long and 2—3 mm in diameter, slightly apophysate with a narrow rim or collar basally green to purple, sometimes with scattered, reddish-brown, glandular fimbriae; limb erect, somewhat spreading, or campanulate, 1.5-4 mm long including lobes, green to greenish-w hite: lobes triangular, obtuse to acute, 0.5—1.5 mm long and 1.5—2 mm broad, erect or somewhat connivent after anthesis, marginally densely glandular-fimbriate, with fimbriae to 0.2 mm long; sinus broadly rounded or obtuse, rarely acute. Corolla constricted basalh, narrow ed to throat, 10-16 mm long and 4-5 mm in diameter, glabrous, basal quarter white or pale red, middle half purple or reddish-purple, distal quarter plus lobes white; lobes triangular, obtuse, 1 mm long. Stamens 9—14.5 mm long;filaments glabrous or with scattered hairs distallv, alternately either 1.5-3 mm or 3-6 mm long; anthers including tubules alternately either 5.5-10 mm or 7.5-12.5 mm long; thecae 2-3 mm long. Style (9.5-)11-15.5 mm long; stigma somewhat peltate. Berry 5-7 mm in diameter. Phenology: Flowering throughout the year.

Distribution and Ecology - Distribution: Costa Rica to Panama; 350-2700 m elevation. Fig. 35.

Discussion:

Cavendishia capitulata is distinctive despite the fact that the leaves are quite variable with respect to length and width. The following combination of characters usualh distingiushes the taxon: leaves apicaUv obtuse or rounded; capitate inflorescences with 3-4 flowers/inflorescence; and flowers which are purple or reddish-purple with white tips.

The leaves of C. capdulata show the highest degree of variability of the Central American species. In Costa Rica and western P a n a m a the leaves are usully narrowly oblong or elliptic, 2-2.5 cm long and 0.5-1 cm broad, and both the apex and the base are rounded; or the leaves m a y be obovate-oblanceolate with cuneate bases. In central and eastern Panama from Sante Fe de Veraguas to the Province of Darien, the leaves are m u c h longer and broader, averaging 2.5-5.5 cm long and 1-2.5 cm broad. However, in floral characters these geographical variants are similar in all respects.

Several puzzling collections from central Costa Rica combine morphological characters which may be the result of hybridization between C. capitulata and C. crassifolia. On e set of characters which has been encountered in collections from La Palma de San Ramon (Alajuela Province) a nd Vara Blanca (Heredia Province) is the following: 1) leaves about 6 cm long and have abruptly acuminate apices, rounded or almost truncate bases, and prominent plinerved venation; 2) inflorescences m o r e racemose or subfasciculate and bear 6-7 flowers; 3) pedicels long, thin, and cylindric instead of short and obconic; 4) calyx lobes somewhat connivent after anthesis; and 5) corollas longer and more bottle-shaped having more distinctly narrowed throats. Collections which exemplify these characters are the following Costa Rican collections: Alajuela Province: La Palma de San Ramon, Herb. Brenes 3745 (CR, F, NY), 4091 (E), 437I (CR, F, NY), 5122 (CR, F, NY), 5198 (A, F, NY), 5332 (NY), 5339 (CR, F, NY), 11387 (F, NY); Heredia Province: vicinity of Vara Blanca, Luteyn 576a (DUKE, F, MO, NY). Collections from a boggy pasture area in the vicinity of Pacayas near Volcan Turrialba, from El Muheco, and from the Cordillera de Talamanca (all Cartago Province) also show the above set of characters, except that these specimens have shorter leaves and capitate inflorescences with 3-5 flowers/inflorescence. Collections which exemplify these features are: Cartago Province: bog along Inter Amer. Hwy. 2 km S of El Empalme, 2400 m , Wilbur & Luteyn 18339 (DUKE, NY); El Muheco, Luteyn et al. 4534 (DUKE, F, NY); vicinity of Pacayas, Luteyn 3252 (DUKE, F, MO, NY); Luteyn & Wilbur 4471 (BM, CAS, CR, DUKE, F, G, GH, LL, MICH, MO, NY, UC, US, WIS), 4486 (CAS, DUKE, F, GH, LL, MICH, MO, NY, US, WIS), Wilbur et al. 16077 (CAS, DUKE, F, LL, MICH, MO, NY, WIS), Wilbur & Luteyn 18716 (DUKE), 18723 (DUKE, NY). Although the present study showed C. capdulata to be cladistically allied to C. axillaris, it is phenetically most simUar to the South American C. guatapeensis Mansf. More specimens of the latter taxon are needed, however, before any elaboration of this relationship can be made.

Type: Costa Rica: Provinceof San Jose. La Palma, 1500 m , Werckle 11.565 (Holotvpe: US! isotype: CR! photo of holotype DUKE!).