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 and terrestrial shrubs about 1.5 m tall; stem base to 2 cm in diameter. Mature branches terete or obtusely angled, smooth or minutely striate, glabrate, green or brown when fresh but drying tan or reddish-brown; immature branches and twigs of new growth terete, obtusely angled or conspicuously flattened, minutely striate, glabrate or densely short pilose. Petioles subterete, rugose and often longitudinally ribbed, 3.5—6.5(-9) mm long and 1-2.5 mm in diameter, densely short pilose adaxially becoming glabrate. Leaves linear, linearlanceolate, or elliptic-lanceolate, averaging 5-6 times longer than wide (4.5-) 7.5-12(-14.5) cm long and (0.5-)l-2(-2.5) cm broad, basally narrowing, rounded and usually slightly cordate, apically long attenuate to an ultimately blunt tip, reddish- to olive-brown w h e n dry, glabrous, marginally strongly revolute (rarely flat); pinnately nerved, lowest primary nerves sometimes arcuate to about middle where they anastomose and form a collective nerve with remaining nerves which runs to leaf apex, midrib deeply impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, lateral nerves and veinlets raised and conspicuous above, slightiy raised but obscure beneath. Infiorescence solitary or rarely two in terminal axils, 8-28 flowered with lowest 3-8 nodes usually sterile, viscid; rachis conspicuously bluntly angled, minutely striate, glabrous, purple, 5.5-13 cm long and 1-2.5 mm in diameter. Floral bracts conspicuously nerved, glabrous, concave or hood-shaped, ovate, 3-6.5 mm long and 2.5-4.5 mm broad, basally rounded and truncate, somewhat auriculate, apically acute to obtuse, distal twothirds of margin callose-thickened, dark purple with greenish tinge. Pedicels subterete, striate, swollen apically, glabrous, 11-18(-24) mm long and 0.5-1 (-1.5) mm in diameter, dark purple. Bracteoles conspicuously nerved, glabrous, concave, ovate, 1.5-2.5(-3) mm long and (0.5-)1.5(-3) mm broad, basally continuous (not articulated) with tissue of pedicel, apically acute, distal twothirds to one-half glandular callose-thickened, positioned one-third to halfway up pedicel, dark purpHsh-green. Calyx glabrous, (5-)6-7(-8) mm long, sometimes slightly stipitate; tube cylindric, rugose and ribbed, surface often muricate, (I.5-)2-3(-4.5) mm long, basally strongly apophysate and deeply lobed, green when immature, dark purple at anthesis but turning greenish after anthesis; limb cylindric or spreading, rarely campanulate, ribbed, (2-)4-4.5(-5.5) mm long including lobes; lobes triangular, l-1.5(-2) mm long and (1.5-)2-2.5(-3) mm broad, erect after anthesis, completely callose-thickened or rarely margins slighdy thinner than main body, purple; sinus obtuse to broadly rounded. Corolla slightly constricted basaUy, narrowed at throat, densely short, white pubescent without with trichomes 0.2-0.4 mm long (rarely glabrous), sparsely pilose within, (16-)18-21.5(-22) mm long and 4-8 mm in diameter, pale purple at constricted base, purple above; lobes triangular, 1-1.5 mm long, glabrous, reflexed at anthesis often exposing tips of anthers. Stamens 15.5-19.5 mm long; filaments alternately either 2-3.5 mm or 5-7.5 mm long, white, glabrous or more commonly with medially pHose long-filaments and distally pUose short-filaments; anthers including tubules alternately either 12.5-14.5 mm or 15.5-18 mm long, orange; thecae alternately either 4-5.5 mm or 5.5-6.5 mm long. Style sigmoid, exserted at anthesis, green. Berry glabrous, 12-15 mm in diameter. Phenology: Flowering April-July; fruiting August-September.
Cavendishia stenophylla may be distinguished at once by the linear leaves with strongly revolute margins, and by the caUose-thickened floral bracts. Linear leaves are found in only one other Central American species, viz. C. pseudostenophylla. The two species differ in that the leaves of C. stenophyUa are pinnately nerved and the floral bracts are marginally callose-thickened, in contrast to C. pseudostenophylla in which the leaves are plinerved and the floral bracts are marginally provided with globular glands.
Although C. stenophylla seems to share its most recent common ancestor with C. endresii, it is phenetically most simUar to the Costa Rican C. melastomoides. In addition to similar gland types found on the calyx lobes and bracteole margins, the two species show the similar habit feature of swollen stem bases. They are the only Central American taxa to have secund inflorescences, and also show a tendency for a higher positioning of the bracteoles along the pedicels.
Type: Panama: Province of Panama. Hills above Campana, 600-800 m, Allen 1880 (Holotype: NY! photo of type DUKE! isotype: MO!).
Panama Central America|