Cavendishia amplexa Luteyn

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Ericaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cavendishia amplexa Luteyn

  • Type

    Type. Colombia. Chocó: Ansermanuevo-San José del Palmar rd., 2-5 km E of San José del Palmar, 1200-1500 m, 20 Apr 1979 (fl), Luteyn et al. 7318 (holotype, COL, photo NY neg. 10606; isotypes, CAS, E, L, MEXU, MICH, MO, NY, US).

  • Description

    Species Description - Terrestrial shrub to 2 m tall; mature branches terete, striate, glabrous, reddish-brown; twigs subterete, striate, densely pilose with white hairs 1-1.5 mm long or glabrate. Leaves elliptic, lanceolate or somewhat ovate-lanceolate, (7-)9-12 X 1.5-4.5 cm, basally obtuse or broadly cuneate, apically caudate-acuminate, essentially glabrous above but densely appressed pilose with hairs to 0.8 mm long beneath; 3-5-plinerved with lateral nerves arising near base, midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets obscure; petioles subterete, rugose, 5-7 mm long and 2-3 mm in diam., densely appressed pilose as leaves. Inflorescence 3-5-flowered; rachis subterete with the nodes overlapping, glabrous, ca. 1-2 cm long and 4 mm diam.; floral bracts subcoriaceous, oblong-elliptic but tightly involute around and concealing the pedicel, calyx and lower half of the corolla, 22-25 X ca. 15 mm, glabrous, pink to red when fresh; pedicels terete, swollen distally, glabrous, ca. 3-4 mm long and in diam.; bracteoles attached at base of pedicel and completely concealing pedicel and calyx, subcoriaceous, appressed to flowers, oblong-elliptic, 15-18 X ca. 10 mm, apically rounded and slightly emarginate, marginally seemingly eglandular, glabrous. Flowers: calyx glabrous, 10-11 mm long, translucent green to whitish-green when fresh; hypanthium cylindric, smooth, 4-5 mm long, basally truncate; limb cylindric, 67 mm long; lobes oblong, oblong-ovate, 3.8-4 x 2.5-3 mm, erect after anthesis, apically rounded and apiculate, marginally imbricate in basal half, distal half with thin, somewhat scarious-looking glandular border; corolla tubular, glabrous, 18-19 mm long, rose-red basal ¾ and white distal ¼ when fresh, lobes triangular, ca. 1 mm long; stamens slightly unequal, 15.5-16 mm long; filaments essentially glabrous, alternately 2.5-3 mm and 5.5-6 mm long; anthers alternately ca. 15 mm and 11-12 mm long; thecae 6.5-7 mm long; tubules dehiscing by clefts nearly the length of the tubule; style 22 mm long. Berry not seen.

  • Discussion

    Cavendishia amplexa is characterized by densely pilose twigs and leaf undersurfaces, short rachis with few (3-5) flowers, involute floral bracts, elongate clasping bracteoles (15-18 mm long), and scarious-margined calyx lobes.

    The resemblance between C. amplexa and C. tryphera mentioned in the protologue of C. amplexa (Luteyn, 1980) must not be taken as an indication of a close relationship. Cavendishia amplexa, C. compacta, and tryphera are superficially alike, all three having tightly involute floral bracts. The bracteole and calyx lobe glands and calyx sinuses, however, immediately remove tryphera from this group and place it in ser. Englerianae (sect. Engleriana). The true affinities of C. amplexa lie with C. longirachis, both having scarious-margined calyx lobes and elongate bracteoles which nearly conceal the flowers at anthesis. Their salient differences are mentioned in the key.

  • Distribution

    Known only from the type collection, the plants of which were terrestrial along disturbed forest edge.

    Chocó Colombia South America| Colombia South America|