Pedraza-Peñalosa, Paola & Luteyn, James L. 2010. New species of Ericaceae (Vaccinieae) from the Andes of Bolivia and Peru. Brittonia. 62 (1): 39-56.
Ericaceae
Description - Epiphytic shrubs. Twigs subterete, flattened, almost glabrous, the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular; mature branches terete, the bark fissured, turning whitish, glabrous; prophylls 2, opposite, valvate, ovate, 0.8-1.5 mm long, the apex acute. Leaves alternate, spirally arranged; petioles subterete, 1.6-2.4 mm long, glabrous; blades coriaceous and fleshy, ovate or elliptic, 1.3-2.2x0.6-1.2 cm, the base cunéate, the margin entire, cilio late towards apex of young leaves, the hairs simple, unicellular and egland- ular, the apex bluntly acute, glabrous above, or sometimes inconspicuously glabrescent along midrib with hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular, glabrous beneath; venation pinnate, raised on both surfaces, the secondary nerves 2-4 per side, anastomosing, the tertiary nerves branching freely. Inflorescences axillary, fas- ciculate, 2-flowered, or sometimes flowers solitary; bracts and floral bract undifferentiated, 5-7, persistent, cuculiate, ovate, 0.6-1.6 mm long, the margin sometimes ciliolate with hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular, the apex obtuse or acute, glabrous on both surfaces pedicles articulat with calyx, reduced and hidden by bracts, 0.4 -0.7 (-1.5) mm long, glabrous except for a ring of simple hairs ate articulation, the hairs of two kinds, unicellular adn elgandular, or multicellular and glandular; bracteoles 2, distinct or rarely fused (in latter case the "single" bracteole 2- costate), persistent, inserted at base of the short pedicel, ovate 0.9 - 1.1 x 1- 1.3 mm, the margin apically ciliolate with hairs simple, unicellular and elgandular, the apex obtuse or obcordate (only when a "single" bracteole present), glabrous on both surfaces. flowers 4- merous, diplostemonous. Calyx cylindirc overall, apparently slightly angualte, probably fleshy when fresh (when dried very thick and irregularly wrinkled), 5-7.2 mm long, puberulous with hairs simple, unicellular, eglandualr and slightly wavy, the aestivation valvate; tube cylindric, 2-3 mm long; limb 2.8 - 4.2 mm long; lobes triangular 1.8 -3 x 2-2.2 mm, the margin ciliolate with hairs simple, unicellular and elgandular, the apex acute; sinuses acute (V shaped). corolla bistratose, fleshy, pink, urceolate, 6-7 mm long, glabrous on both surfaces, the aestivation valvate; lobes triangular, 2x 1.7 -1.8 mm, the apex acute. Stamens 8, equal, included, 6- 6.3 mm long; filaments equal, distinct, more or less linear and straight, 2.9 -3.2 mm long, puberulous on both surfaces with hairs simple, unicellular and elgandualr; anthers equal, 3.6 - 4.0 mm long; thecae 1.5 -1.6 mm, papillate basal appendix with simple, unicellular hairs, cells with polygonal shape; tubules 2, distinct 2.1 - 2.5 mm long, smooth, dehiscing by introrse slits, 0.6 - 0.7 mm long. Ovary 4- locular, placentation axile; style exserted, 5.8 -6.2 mm long. Fruit unknown.
Phenology. - The type was flowering in June.
Etymology. - Themistoclesia idiocalyx makes reference to the peculiar (idios) calyces.In its overall morphology, Themistoclesia idiocalyx is most similar to T. siranensis and T tunquiniensis, having in common leaves ovate to elliptic and apically bluntly acute, pedicels articulate with the calyx, and flowers 4-merous. However, T. idiocalyx can be easily distinguished by having venation distinctively pinnate with the secondary and tertiary veins well marked (vs. obscurely 3- plinerved with only the secondary nerves or the midrib conspicious in the other species), pedicels very reduced [0.4 -0.7 (-1.5) mm vs. 1.3-2.5mm], calyx cylindirc (vs. obconic or campanualate), long (5-7.2mm vs 2.4 - 3.7mm), and with a limb greater than hald the length of the entire calyx (vs. less than hald the length of the entire calyx); moreover, the calyx of T. idiocalyx is distinctive within the genus since it dries very wrinled suggesting that it is probably fleshy when fresh. T. alata Sleumer, the other articulate and 4- merous species in teh genus, in the shape of its leaves (ovate to elliptic vs. obovate or oblong, respectively).
Peru South America|