Cavendishia chocoensis A.C.Sm.

Authority

Luteyn, James L. 1983. Ericaceae--part I. Cavendishia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 1-290. (Published by NYBG Press)

Family

Ericaceae

Scientific Name

Cavendishia chocoensis A.C.Sm.

Type

Type. Colombia. Chocó: Dense forest along ridge in Yeracüí Valley, Corcovada region, upper Río San Juan, 200-275 m, 24-25 Apr 1939 (fl), Killip 35248 (holotype, US, photo NY; isotypes, COL (ster), NY, photo NY neg. 9689).

Description

Species Description - Epiphytic shrub with stems to 1.5 m long; mature branches terete, weakly striate, glabrous, glaucous; bark reddish-brown; twigs subterete, glabrous, glaucous, stramineous, sometimes with scattered minute stout glandular fimbriae with heads nearly spherical. Leaves oblong-elliptic or lance-ovate, (4-)5-15.5 X (l-)3-6.5 cm, basally narrowed and obtuse to broadly rounded, apically caudate-acuminate (acumen to 2.5 cm long), glabrous or midrib sometimes puberulous through proximal 1 cm above, glandular-fimbriate on both surfaces (sometimes very dense and conspicuous); 5-plinerved from near base or inner nerves arising 1 cm up from base, midrib conspicuously raised through proximal 1 cm but impressed distally above, lateral nerves impressed above (sometimes strongly), reticulate veinlets slightly raised or plane above, all veins raised beneath; petioles terete, rugose, 3-7 mm long and 1-2 mm diam., glabrous or puberulent. Inflorescence 40-50-flowered, the proximal 2 cm without flowers; rachis subterete, slightly bluntly angled, glabrous, ca. 10 cm long and 2 mm diam., the proximal 2-2.5 cm provided with sessile, spherical glands ca. 0.1 mm diam.; floral bracts caducous, oblong, ca. 11 X 5 mm, basally subauriculate, apically acute, glabrous, green when fresh; pedicels subterete, striate, glabrous, 6.5 mm long at anthesis; bracteoles seemingly lacking. Flowers: calyx glabrous, 3.5-4 mm long; hypanthium cylindric, smooth, 1-1.5 mm long, basally truncate, nonapophysate; limb erecto-patent or campanulate, 2.5 mm long; lobes triangular-ovate, 1-1.5 mm long, suberect after anthesis, glandular callose marginally and over the distal 1/3 of the lamina; sinus subacute or narrowly obtuse; corolla subglobose-urceolate, contracted at base and throat, membranaceous, glabrous, ca. 7 mm long and 6 mm diam. at broadest point, lobes deltoid-ovate, obtuse, 1.2 mm long; stamens alternately ca. 5.4 mm and 5.8 mm long; filaments connate the basal 1.5 mm, densely puberulent on both sides in free portions, alternately 2.5-2.7 mm and 3.1-3.5 mm long; anthers alternately 3-3.2 mm and 2.6-2.8 mm long; thecae alternately ca. 1.3 mm and 1 mm long; tubules equal to or slightly broader than thecae, dehiscing by oval clefts alternately 1.2 mm and 0.8 mm long; style equaling the corolla. Berry ca. 8-9 mm diam.

Discussion

Cavendishia chocoensis is without close relatives, and combines characters which make it difficult to place within the evolutionary framework of the genus. Unspecialized characters include short subglobose-urceolate corollas, one set of stamens which has the filaments longer than the anthers, and slightly unequal anthers; whereas the specialized characters include strongly unequal filaments fused at least in the basal half and glandular-callose calyx lobes. The “minute golden glands” of the calyx and pedicels mentioned by Smith (1940) are not at all apparent to me. I have placed C. chocoensis within ser. Deciduae (sect. Cavendishia) because virtually all the derived characters which define this series are found within the species. It may, however, also provide a link to sect. Engleriana because of the spherical glands along its twigs and rachises, and its marginally glandular-callose calyx lobes. Glandular-callose calyx lobes may also be noted in C. barnebyi and C. isernii var. isernii (both in ser. Deciduae).

Distribution

Known with certainty only from pluvial forest of the upper Río San Juan-upper Río Atrato region of Chocó Dept., Colombia at elevations of 100-275 m.

Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America|