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 - Epiphytic shrub 7-10 dm tall or terrestrial and 1-3 m tall; stem base up to 2.5 cm in diameter. Mature branches terete, smooth or minutely striate, glabrous, green with fresh but drying tan to reddish-brown, usually with a thin, whitishwaxy layer over the branches; bark reddish-brown when fresh; immature branches and twigs of new growth subterete to bluntly angled, striate and often coarsely ridged, glabrous, reddish-brown when dry. Petioles subterete, usually flattened adaxially, rugose and often coarsely ridged, 7-13 mm long and 1.5-2 mm in diameter, glabrous to weakly pilose adaxially when young then persistent or glabrate w h e n mature. Leaves lanceolate to lance-elliptic, (3-)5-9(-11) cm long and (1-)2-4 cm broad, basally obtuse or rounded, lamina often short decurrent along petiole, apically short acuminate and often abruptly so, grayish- to brownish-green when dry, glabrous or often with numerous short hairs at base of midrib adaxially, usually soon glabrate; 5(-7)-plinerved, midrib plane or more commonly weakly impressed above, lateral nerves usually raised and conspicuous, rarely weakly impressed above, veinlets all raised and conspicuous to obscure above, nerves raised beneath but veinlets obscure. Infiorescence (2-)3-6(-9) flowered, obconic to spherical in bud; rachis flattened, bluntiy angled, striate, viscid, glabrous, (0.3-)0.6-1.2(-3.2) cm long, pale green when fresh, usually with minute cartUaginous teeth at base. Floral bracts usually translucent when dry, glabrous, smooth or rarely slightly ribbed, usually with minute, red, glandular fimbriae abaxially, oblong to oblanceolate, or oblonglanceolate, basally narrowed and somewhat auriculate, apically rounded or obtuse, usually emarginate, or when young notched with notch almost completely filled with callose tissue, (1.5-)2-3(-4) cm long and 0.5-1(-2) cm broad, pale green, but suffused with pink along margins and at base when fresh, but drying green. Pedicels swollen distally, ridged, glabrous (6-)8-13(-15) mm long and (0.5-) 1-1.5 mm in diameter, pale green to cream-colored and often suffused with pink when fresh, occasionally with cartilaginous teeth at distal end. Bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 1-2.5(-3) mm long and 0.5-1 mm broad, apically acuminate and glandular callose-thickened distal half to two-thirds, pale green when fresh. Calyx glabrous, 5-7(-10) mm long, pale green sometimes suffused with pink when fresh; tube cylindric, weakly rugose, strongly ribbed, (1.5-)2-3(-4) mm long, basally apophysate and deeply lobed with lobes straight, extending to or just below articulation; limb campanulate to cylindric smooth or weakly ribbed and minutely papUlate when dry, (2.5-)3.5-4.5(-6) mm long including lobes; lobes triangular, (0.7-)1-1.5(-2) mm long and 2-3 mm broad, sometimes flaring outward at anthesis, erect after anthesis, completely glandular callose-thickened or only distal two-thirds callose-thickened; sinus obtuse, broadly rounded or flat. Corolla slightly constricted basally, narrowed to throat, often translucent when dry, 20-24(-30) mm long and 5-7 mm in diameter, glabrous or rarely pUose, whitish at base and apex, otherwise pinkish-violet to rose-red; lobes triangular or oblong, acute, about 1 mm long, reflexed at anthesis, tips often callose-thickened, white with pinkish or violet margins. Stamens 19-24.5 mm long; filaments densely pilose, alternately either 2.5-5 mm or 5-10 mm long, pale green; anthers including tubules alternately either 13-20 mm or 17-22 mm long, tawny; thecae 4.5-7 mm long. Style 22-29 mm long, green. Berry about 9 mm in diameter. Phenology: Flowering February-August.

Distribution:

Panama Central America|