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 shrub, 0.5-3 m tall; stem base 1-7.5 cm in diameter. Mature branches pendent, terete, smooth, glabrous and often appearing glaucous, red or green suffused with red when fresh, but drying tan to reddish-brown; bark gray; immature branches subterete, bluntly angled, striate, glabrous or rarely sparsely short pUose, provided with tiny, reddish, caducous glands. Petiole subterete, flattened adaxially, rugose, (3-)4.5-9 mm long and 0.5-1.5 mm in diameter, glabrous or densely short pUose becoming glabrate, reddish-brown. Leaves lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic, 3-7(-10) cm long and (1-)1.5-2.5 cm broad, basally rounded or cuneate, apically long acuminate or caudateacuminate, brownish-green to tan when dry, glabrous, rarely short pilose then becoming glabrate; 3(-5)-plinerved, midrib impressed and prominent above or somewhat plane distally, raised and conspicuous beneath, lateral nerves slightly raised o n both surfaces or rarely impressed above, but conspicuous only above. Infiorescence usually with all parts viscid, (4-)6-10(-18) flowered (with lowest 1-4 nodes often sterile); rachis subterete or bluntly angled, sometimes ribbed, glabrous, (2-)3-8(-15) cm long and 1-1.5 mm in diameter, pale green to pink, provided with few to many, red, sessile or short clavate glands. Floral bracts early caducous, often translucent w h e n fresh, glabrous, smooth, or often ribbed w h e n dry, with minute, red, clavate, glandular fimbriae abaxially, oblong, oblanceolate, or elliptic, rarely semiorbicular, basally cuneate, tuncate, and slightly clasping, apically acute or rounded, often apiculate and callose thickened, rarely emarginate, 4-14(-20.5) mm long and 3-6.5 mm broad, pale green, often with pinkish margins or entire bract turning pink with age. Pedicels striate, ribbed, glabrous, (7-) 10-21 (-27) mm long and 0.5-1 mm in diameter, pale green to pinkish-green, often provided with either sessUe or clavate, red glands. Bracteoles often conspicuously nerved, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, often cochleariform, 1-3.5 mm long and 0.5-1.5(-2.5) mm broad, callose-thickened for distal half to one-third, positioned basally to about midway u p the pedicel, green or pinkish-green. Calyx glabrous, (3-)4.5-7.5 mm long, dark pink or red at anthesis later turning green; tube smooth or rugose, 5-angled, l-2(-3) mm long, broadly apophysate basally with apophysis perpendicular to calyx axis or somewhat ascending; limb cylindric or somewhat spreading, smooth or rugose, often ribbed, (2-)2.5-4(-6.5) mm long including lobes; lobes triangular, (0.5-) 1-1.5 mm long, erect after anthesis, completely callose-thickened and glandular, usually dark green or reddish-green at anthesis; sinus obtuse or broadly rounded and almost flat. Corolla slightly narrowed at throat, sometimes curving upwards distally, viscid or not, 16-41 mm long and 3-7 mm in diameter, glabrous, tube dull white or dark reddish-maroon; lobes triangular, obtuse, 1-2.5 mm long. erect to reflexed at anthesis. Stamens 16-34.5 mm long; filaments alternately either 2.5-6 mm or 5.5-12.5 mm long, white or pink; anthers alternately either 11.5-25 mm or 14-32 mm long, orangish- to reddish-brown; thecae 3-8 mm long. Style 18.5-40 mm long. Berry glabrous, 11-14 mm in diameter.
Socratesia melastomoiodes Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 23. 1851. Type: Costa Rica. Warszewicz s.n. (Holotype: B, not seen, presumably destroyed, photo of type DUKE! NY!).
Cavendishia klotzschiana Niedenzu, Bot. Jahrb. 11: 206. 1890. (Superfluous name, Art. 63).
Chupalon melastomoides (Kl.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 2: 383. 1891.
Cavendishia graebneriana Hoerold, Bot. Jahrb. 42: 324. 1909. Type: Costa Rica. Werckle 29 (Holotype: B, not seen, presumably destroyed, fragments and photo of type NY! photo only DUKE!).
The populations of C. melastomoides are separable into two morphological varieties. These varieties are geographicaUy isolated from each other except in the region from Zarcero to Quesada, Alajuela Province. Here they are seemingly sympatric fide herbarium label data. Somewhat intermediate forms are encountered within this region with respect to a seeming convergence of leaf size and shape, and corolla length and color.
Cavendishia melastomoides is allied to a group of taxa including C. wercklei, C. callista, and C. atroviolacea, sharing similar calycine and bracteole gland types. It differs from these taxa in possessing a thinner rachis, smaUer and narrower leaves, and a glabrous corolla. T h e similarities of C. melastomoides to C. stenophylla are included in the discussion of the latter taxon.