Authority:

Pedraza-Peñalosa, Paola. 2010. (Ericaceae, Vaccinieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 108: 1-126. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family:

Ericaceae

Synonyms:

Vaccinium agathosmoides Wedd., Disterigma fortunense Wilbur

Description:

Species Description - Epiphytic (up to 10–15 m above the ground) or terrestrial shrubs, wiry, scandent, or prostrate and decumbent. Young branchlets ridged, relatively smooth, glabrate, pubescent, or puberulous, the hairs eglandular and light brown, the indumentum of the mature branches similar but glabrate. Leaves 15–24 per cm, apparently distichous, patent; petiole 0.3–0.8 mm long, glabrous; lamina lanceolate, linear, or sometimes elliptic, (0.28–)0.32–0.9(–1.1) × (0.04–)0.08–0.2(–0.26) cm, basally cuneate, marginally entire, apically ciliolate with minute eglandular hairs (especially in young leaves), apically acute, adaxially glabrous or sometimes glabrate with minute glandular hairs, abaxially glabrate with glandular hairs, the venation adaxially obscure, abaxially 3-nerved with the midvein raised. Axillary solitary flowers; bracts 4–8, chartaceous, ovate or transverse-elliptic, 0.4–1.6 × 0.4–1.5 mm, marginally ciliolate with eglandular hairs, apically obtuse, obtuse and cuspidate, or acute, abaxially glabrous; pedicel 1–1.2 mm long, reduced and hidden by overlapping bracts, glabrate with eglandular hairs; differentiated apical bracteoles 2, distinct, chartaceous, partially enveloping calyx lobes, covering 50–67% of calyx, ovate, 1.5–2(–2.5) × 1.6–3 mm, marginally ciliolate or ciliate with eglandular hairs, apically obtuse and cuspidate or less often acuminate, the surface smooth, abaxially and adaxially glabrous. Flowers 4-merous. Calyx aestivation valvate, campanulate, (2–)2.4–3.3 mm long; tube slightly angled, 0.8–1.3 mm long, abaxially glabrous or glabrate with minute eglandular hairs; limb 1.2–2.2 mm long, abaxially pilulose with eglandular hairs (apically), adaxially glabrous; lobes triangular, 1.2–1.7 × 0.7–1 mm, marginally ciliolate or rarely ciliate with eglandular hairs, apically acute; sinuses acute (V-shaped). Corolla red, pink, or white, chartaceous, bistratose, narrowly urceolate, 5–7(–9) mm long, 2.3–3 mm diam. (2 mm when dry), 1.5–2 mm wide at throat (1.5–1.7 mm when dry), abaxially glabrate with eglandular hairs, adaxially glabrate toward the base; lobes 0.8–1.2 × 0.8–1 mm, apically acute, adaxially slightly rugose. Stamens 8, 5–7.5 mm long, exserted; filaments distinct, straight, broader at base or ± linear with parallel sides (in Panama), (2.4–)2.8–4.5(–5) mm long, abaxially and adaxially pilulose or glabrate (especially in Panama); anthers distinct, papillae only on thecae; thecae 0.8–1.2 mm long, with or without basal appendages; tubules 2, distinct, 1.5–2 mm long, dehiscing introrsely by longitudinal slits, 0.8–1.2 mm long. Ovary 4-locular; style 5.5–7.3(–7.8) mm long, exserted. Berry white, ± spherical, 3.8–4.4 mm diam., the persistent calyx lobes erect or spreading, becoming succulent (at least at base), same color as mature berry; embryo white.

Distribution and Ecology - Disterigma agathosmoides is known from central Panama and the western mountain ranges of Colombia and from northern Ecuador. The collections of this species are relatively few and come from a handful of localities, mainly from the area of Junín, Barbacoas, and Tumaco in Nariño, Colombia, Reserva Indígena Awá in Carchi, Ecuador, and Fortuna Dam in Chiriquí, Panama (Fig. 9). This species principally grows in very humid areas at 300– 1700 m, in the transitional zone between lowland rainforest and premontane forest. However, populations of D. agathosmoides have been found at elevations as high as 2430–2950 m in isolated mountain ranges such as Cerro Golondrinas in Carchi (Ecuador) and Cerro Panamá in Chocó (Colombia). This species has been found in both primary and secondary vegetation, as well as on roadsides. Flowering specimens have been collected year-round and fruiting specimens in Oct and Dec–Apr.

Local Names and Uses - This species is known as "queremillo" in Colombia, around El Queremal (Valle del Cauca); there, it is harvested and mixed with other members of the Ericaceae to prepare cleansing and aromatic extractions.

Discussion:

Disterigma agathosmoides (Figs. 2B, 7C) is very distinctive because of its wiry and delicate branches; apparently distichous, patent, linear (<3 mm wide) leaves; short calyx lobes (<2 mm long); narrowly urceolate and adaxially glabrate corollas; and white berries. Vegetatively, D. agathosmoides is similar to D. hammelii (Panama), which is also wiry in appearance and has narrow leaves. Nevertheless, they can be easily differentiated because D. hammelii has adaxially glabrous corollas (vs. glabrate in D. agathosmoides) and its leaves are usually lanceolate (vs. linear to lanceolate) and generally wider, (0.1–)0.2(–0.3) cm vs. (0.04–)0.08–0.2(–0.26) cm; additionally, D. hammelii also has longer calyx lobes (2.5–3.1 mm vs. 1.2–1.7 mm), longer corollas (11–14.3 mm vs. 5–7[–9] mm), longer stamens (12–13 mm vs. 5–7.5 mm), and longer filaments (8.5–9 mm vs. [2.4–]2.8–4.5[–5] mm). Although Disterigma fortunense was described by Wilbur (1992) as a new species based mainly on its larger leaves and flowers when compared to D. agathosmoides, I found no size differences between the two species; therefore, D. fortunense is here synonymized. Specimens with smaller leaves and flowers were observed in Central America, while specimens with large leaves and flowers were found at Cerro Golondrinas and Cerro Panamá, in South America.

Distribution:

Panama Central America| Chiriquí Panamá Central America| Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Nariño Colombia South America| Valle del Cauca Colombia South America| Ecuador South America| Carchi Ecuador South America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America| Imbabura Ecuador South America| Esmeraldas Ecuador South America|

Common Names:

queremillo