Monographs Details – Flora of Las Orquideas National Park

Monographs Details:

Authority:

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

Family:

Ericaceae

Scientific Name:

Disterigma empetrifolium (Kunth) Drude

Synonyms:

Vaccinium empetrifolium Kunth, Metagonia empetrifolia (Kunth) Nutt., Vaccinium penaeoides f. empetrifolia (Kunth) Wedd., Vaccinium penaeoides Kunth, Metagonia penaeoides (Kunth) Nutt., Disterigma penaeoides Nied., Vaccinium epacridifolium Benth., Vaccinium penaeoides var. epacridifolium (Benth.) Wedd., Disterigma epacridifolium (Benth.) Nied., Disterigma weberbaueri Hoerold, Disterigma margaricoccum S.F.Blake, Disterigma leiopodandrum Blake

Description:

Species Description - Terrestrial shrubs, prostrate and decumbent, sometimes forming dense cushions, or erect, to 0.5 m tall. Young branchlets ridged, ± smooth, puberulous, the hairs eglandular, light brown or white, the indumentum of the mature branches similar but glabrate. Leaves 4–11 per cm, spirally arranged, ascending or diffuse; petiole 0.5–1.5 mm long, glabrate, the hairs eglandular; lamina often succulent, lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, sometimes ovate or obovate, 0.4–1(–1.2) × 0.1–0.4(–0.6) cm, basally attenuate, marginally crenulate or occasionally entire, sometimes apically ciliolate with eglandular hairs, apically acute, blunt-acute, acuminate, or rarely subacute, adaxially glabrous or glabrate with eglandular hairs over the midvein of the young leaves, abaxially glabrate with glandular hairs, the venation adaxially and abaxially obscure, sometimes hyphodromous abaxially with the midvein raised. Axillary solitary flowers or very rarely 2-flowered cymes; bracts 3–7, chartaceous, ovate or elliptic, 0.5– 2.2 × 0.7–2.2 mm, occasionally marginally ciliolate with eglandular hairs, apically obtuse or acute, abaxially glabrous; pedicel 1–5.7(–11) mm long (usually elongating when fruiting), with at least a portion of it not completely obscured by overlapping bracts or sometimes reduced and hidden, glabrate with eglandular hairs or rarely also with glandular hairs; differentiated apical bracteoles 2, distinct, chartaceous, enveloping entire calyx tube or to lower half of calyx lobes, covering 32–65% of calyx, ovate or transverseelliptic, 2–3.5 × 1.5–4 mm, sometimes marginally ciliolate with eglandular hairs, apically obtuse, the surface smooth, abaxially and adaxially glabrous. Flowers 4-merous. Calyx aestivation valvate, campanulate, 3.4–5.5 mm long; tube terete or slightly angled, 1.2–2.6 mm long, abaxially glabrate with eglandular hairs; limb 1.9–3 mm long, abaxially glabrous or apically puberulous with eglandular and glandular hairs, adaxially glabrous; lobes triangular, 1.2–2.2 × 1.2–2 mm, sometimes marginally ciliolate with eglandular hairs, apically acute; sinuses acute (V-shaped). Corolla red or pink, thick-fleshy, bistratose, urceolate (occasionally some corollas split after pressing and then look campanulate in dry specimens), 6–10.7(–12) mm long, 5–5.5(–6.5) mm diam. (3.5–4.5 mm when dry), 2.5–3 mm wide at throat (1.7 mm when dry), abaxially glabrate with eglandular hairs, adaxially glabrous; lobes 0.7–1.5 × 0.8–1.8 mm, apically acute, adaxially rugose. Stamens 8, 5–7(–8.2) mm long, included; filaments distinct, mostly geniculate (from S-shaped to strongly folded), or less often straight, at times geniculate and straight filaments occurring in the same plant or even in the same flower, ± linear with parallel sides or broader at base, 3.2–5.2(–5.8) mm long, abaxially and adaxially glabrate or pubescent; anthers distinct, papillae on both thecae and tubules; thecae 1–1.6(–2) mm long, with or without basal appendage; tubules 2, distinct, 0.6–1.7(–2.1) mm long, dehiscing introrsely by longitudinal slits, 0.4–1 mm long; style 5.7–7.5 (–10.3) mm long, exserted. Berry white, ± spherical, 7–10 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 empetrifolium is a widespread species that is very abundant in the high elevations of the northern Andes. It is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and northern Bolivia (only one collection) (Fig. 25) at (2000?–) 2500–4500 m, in humid, dry, grassy, or shrubby páramos (called jalcas in northern Peru), subpáramos, and humid punas (Bolivia); occasionally, it can be found in the gaps or edges of the dwarf and high cloud forests. It grows in both primary and secondary vegetation, on dark soil, exposed on bare soil among rocks, or in Sphagnum bogs where it often forms compact cushions similar to those of Distichia Nees & Meyen (Juncaceae). Flowering and fruiting year-round.

Local Names and Uses - This species is known as "anisillo de monte," "uvilla de monte" (Chimborazo), "chirimote" (Tungurahua), "orcu mote" (Tungurahua), and "joyapa" (Loja) in Ecuador, and as "pushgay blanco" in Peru (Cajamarca). Its fruits have been reported to be edible throughout its range, and an infusion of the plant is used for treating nerves.

Discussion:

Disterigma empetrifolium (Fig. 23C,D, 24) is characterized by its small leaves, usually less than 5 mm wide and marginally crenulate; often long and evident pedicels; smooth differentiated apical bracteoles; pink, urceolate, and adaxially glabrous corollas; long and usually geniculate staminal filaments; and white berries and embryos. Although the staminal filaments of D. empetrifolium are usually geniculate, plants with straight filaments have also been found, sometimes within the same population (Fig. 4). As mentioned before in the discussion of D. codonanthum, sterile specimens of D. empetrifolium could be mistaken for D. codonanthum, from Colombia and Ecuador through central Peru, and D. pernettyoides, from southern Peru through central Bolivia. Moreover, when the thick urceolate corollas of D. empetrifolium split after being pressed, the separation of this material from the campanulate D. codonanthum, although not impossible, requires careful observation. The differences between these species and other closely related taxa are presented in Table VIII. Disterigma weberbaueri is here added to the many synonyms of this species. As Smith (1933) pointed out, the vegetative variation of the synonymized species, varieties, and forms represent individual or population traits and not different species. Their flowers are indistinguishable and their differences are found in characters (leaves and growth form; Figs. 23C, 24) that are likely to be shaped by micro-environmental factors, especially under the extreme and changing conditions of the páramos.

Common Names:

anisillo de monte, uvilla de monte, chirimote, orcu mote, joyapa, pushgay

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