Luteyn, James L. 1976. A revision of the Mexican Central American species of Cavendishia (Vacciniaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 28 (3): 1-138.
Ericaceae
Species Description - Epiphytic or terrestrial shrubs, 1-2.5 m tall; stem base 1-5 cm in diameter. Mature branches terete, striate, glabrous, green, often suffused with red w h e n living, but drying reddish-brown; bark reddish-brown; immature branches and twigs of new growth terete or more commonly bluntly angled, smooth or striate, glabrous, reddish-brown or tan w h e n dry. Petioles terete or subterete, smooth, minutely striate or somewhat rugose, (3-)5-7(-9) mm long and 1-1.5 mm in diameter, sparsely puberulous or glabrous when immature, glabrous at maturity, reddish-brown or tan. Leaves bullate, elliptic, lance-elliptic, or lanceolate, rarely ovate, (3.5-)6-11(-14) cm long and (1-)1.5-4(-5) cm broad, basally acute, obtuse, or rounded and short attenuate, usually somewhat short decurrent on petiole, apically acuminate or caudate-acuminate, glossy, brownish-, grayish-, or olive-green to tan w h e n dry, glabrous; 5(-7)-plinerved, midrib and lateral nerves deeply impressed above, raised and very conspicuous beneath, veinlets raised or impressed above, very conspicuous, plane or slightly raised beneath and often obscure. Infiorescence (8-)12-20(-25) flowered; rachis subterete or bluntly angled, minutely striate, glabrous, 2-5(-6) cm long and 1-2 mm in diameter, pinkish-green at anthesis but turning pale green or reddish. Floral bracts smooth, glabrous, oblong, elliptic, or lanceolate, 1-2.5 cm long and 0.5-1 cm broad, conduplicate and slightly keeled, basally slightly clasping, apically acute, marginally glandular-fimbriate, ascending with respect to rachis, pink or red. Pedicels swollen distally, often coarsely striate or rugose, glabrous, (5-)8-16(-19) mm long (usuaHy 8-11 at anthesis) and 0.5-1 mm in diameter, pinkish-green at anthesis but turning pale green or red. Bracteoles lanceolate, oblong or linearlanceolate, rarely ovate, l-2.5(-5) mm long and 0.5-1 (-2) mm broad, apically acute or obtuse, marginally glandular-fimbriate, pink or red. Calyx glabrous, 2.5-5 mm long, often slightiy stipitate at anthesis; tube cylindric, smooth or rugose, pentagonal in cross-section with broad, blunt angles, 1.5-2 mm long, nonapophysate, green or pinkish-green at anthesis turning green or red; limb cylindric, sHghtiy spreading, or campanulate, 2-3.5 mm long including lobes, orangish to reddish-green at anthesis; lobes ovate or oblong, bluntiy apiculate, 1-1.5 mm long and 1.5-2 mm broad, connivent after anthesis, marginally thin and glandular, but without glandular fimbriae, secreting a translucent filmy layer between lobes when in bud, orangish- or reddish-green; sinus acute. Corolla bottle-shaped and bluntly 5-angled when fresh, slightly contricted basally, narrowing to throat, glabrous, 7-11(-13) mm long and 3-6(-7) mm in diameter at widest point, tube whitish at contricted base, orange or reddishorange middle one-half, with white limb and lobes; lobes about 1 mm long, slightly flaring but not reflexed at anthesis. Stamens alternately either 5.5-7.5 mm or 8-9.5 mm long; filaments alternately either 1.5-2(-3.5) mm or (2.5-)3.5-5 mm long, short filament glabrous, long filament with short, stout, trichomes distally; anthers including tubules alternately either (3.5-)5-6.5 mm or (4.5-)5.5-7.5 mm long; thecae 1.5-3 mm long. Style 8.5-11 mm long. Berry 7-11 mm in diameter. Phenology: Flowering and fruiting November-July.
Thibaudia quereme H.B.K., Nov. Gen. & Sp. Pl. 3: 274. 1818. Type: Colombia: Department of El Valle. Near Cali, Humboldt & Bonpland, s.n. (Lectotype: P, not seen; photo ofthe lectotype DUKE! F!).
Polyboea quereme (H.B.K.) Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 31. 1851.
Ceratostema odoratissimum Willd. ex Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 3L 1851, as a synonym, nom. illegit. Art. 34.
Chupalon quereme (H.B.K.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 2: 384. 1891.
Orthaealehmannii Fedtsch. &: Basil., Not. Syst. Herb. Hort. Bot. U.S.S.R. 6: 24. 1926. Type: Colombia: Department of El Valle. Upper Rio Dagua, Lehmann 2954 (Isotype: US!).
Cavendishia quereme has a disjunct distribution which includes the Central Valley of Costa Rica and the Departments of El Valle and Cauca, Colombia. One ofthe most distinctive characters of C. quereme is the very strong wintergreen odor (presumably methyl-salicylate) which is emitted by the vegetative parts of the plant. The odor is so distinctive that the plant is often smelled before it is seen. This odor persists even after the plants have been dried by heat or preserved in F A A . Labels on herbarium material from South America also note this distinctive odor.
Cavendishia revoluta from Cerro Jefe, Panama also has this odor. Another distinctive character of C. quereme is the bright orange corolla with a white tip.
Cavendishia quereme is remarkably stable. Considering its disjunct distribution, there is so little inter-populational variation that specimens from Colombia could just as easily have been collected in Costa Rica. Cavendishia quereme is phenetically most similar to C. laurifolia. Both taxa display very pronounced bottie-shaped and bluntly 5-angled corollas. Also, their stamens are conspicuously alternately unequal in length, in contrast to all other Central American Cavendishias which have stamens subequal to each other. Their affinities with South American taxa still remain obscure.
Costa Rica South America| Colombia South America|