Pedraza-Peñalosa, Paola & Luteyn, James L. 2011. Andean
Ericaceae
Latin Diagnosis - Species nova floribus in fascículos vel solitariis, apice acuminatis, calyce pedicello continuo, brevibus, tubulis obscuris praeditis distincta; urubambensi perulis supra-axillaribus, longis, (non axillaribus, brevibus, inconspicuis), inferiore pilis fasciculatis atque dendroideis fasciculatis atque dendroideis carentibus), (non 1) differt.
Description - Epiphytic shrubs , branches pendent, long. Twigs angulate, pubescent, simple, unicellular and eglandular, clustering, the mature stems subterete, ridged, the bark light brown glabrescent; buds supra-axillary, opposite, valvate, ovate, conspicuous, 3 mm long, apically acute, glabrescent the hairs simple, unicellular and Leaves alternate, imbricate, adpressed, sile; petioles twisted ca. 180°, subterete, 2 mm long, puberulous, the hairs unicellular and eglandular; blades lanceolate, 3-4 x 0.9-1.2 cm, basally the base revolute in dry material, entire, eciliate, apically acuminate, above with hairs few, scattered, cellular and eglandular, puberulous with simple, unicellular, eglandular scattered or clustered around a multicellular/ glandular hair, compound dendritic hairs also present and consisting of a main multicellular/ glandular hair with unicellular/eglandular branches; venation mostly obscure but apparently pinnate when dry, the midrib impressed adaxially and raised abaxially, sometimes 2 basal secondary veins suggested. Inflorescences axillary, 2-flowered fascicles or flowers solitary, flowers pedicellate; all bracts undifferentiated, chartaceous, ovate, inconspicuous, gradually varying in size, 2-2.4 x 0.8- 1.6 mm, marginally ciliolate hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular, apically obtuse, glabrous; pedicels terete, 1-1.3 cm long, continuous with calyx, puberulous, the hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular; bracteoles 2, persistent, opposite, inserted in basal half of pedicle, lanceolate, 1-1.4 x 0.3-0.4 mm, marginally ciliolate with hairs simple, unicellular and elglandular, apically obtuse, glabrous Flowers 4 - merous, presumably diplostemonous(nectariferous disk with 8 lobes). Caylx aestivation unknown, cream colored, infundibuliform overall, 9-10 mm long, puberulous, the hairs simple, unicellular and elglandular; tube obconic, terete, 6.2 - 7 mm long; limb more or less erect, 2.8 - 3mm long; lobes deltate, 1.6 - 1.7 x 3- 3.2 mm, marginally eciliate, apically acute; sinuses rounded. Corolla aestivation and color unknown, presumably campanulate and dorsally carinate along petals, ca. 7 mm long, glabrescent without with hairs simple, unicellular and eglandular, glabrous within; lobes ovate, ca. 1 x 1 mm, apically acute. Stamens presumably 8 (nectariferous disk with 8 lobes; filaments distinct, geniculate, long-ligulate, ca. 2mm long, glabrous; anthers distinct, 1.3 mm long; thecae ca. 0.9 mm long, inconspicuously papillose; tubules 2, distinct to base, 0.4 mm long, dehiscing by terminal pores, 0.4 mm diam. Ovary 4- locular, placentation axile; nectariferous disc pulvinate, glabrous; style filiform, terete, ca. 4.5 mm long, glabrous; stigma simple. Berry not seen.
Phenology. - The type was flowering in August. Etymology : - The species epithet refers to the calyx, which is continuous with the pedicel.
Only a handful of neotropical Vaccinium have compound or clustered hairs; V contin- uum is one of the rare species that has both clustered and dendritic hairs on the lower surface of the leaves. It is also characterized by conspicuous (2.5-3 mm long), supra-axil- lary buds; petioles twisted 180°; and lanceolate, entire and acuminate leaves. Its inflorescences are fasciculate or the flowers are solitary; and the flowers have large corollas (7 mm long) and calyces (9-10 mm long). Vaccinium continuum is morphologically similar to V saxatilis, V ortizii , and V urubambensis , epiphytic species also herein described and characterized as a group with pendent branches, imbricate adpressed leaves with marginally entire blades that ar often laceolate; petioles twisted 180 º, and flowers in axillary fasciciles. In addition to these characters, V. urubambensis and V. continuum both have in common pedicellate flowers that are 4- merous, diplostemonous, and which have the caylx continuous with the pedicel. They can be easily differentiated as summerized in table II.