Cavendishia angustifolia Mansf.

  • Authority

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

  • Family

    Ericaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cavendishia angustifolia Mansf.

  • Type

    Type. Colombia. Antioquia: Carolina, 1850-2300 m, 5 Mar 1880 (fl), Kalbreyer 1624 (lectotype, K, fragment NY, photo NY neg. 9437). The holotype specimen was destroyed at B, but is represented in photos (F neg. 4653 and ACS neg. 172).

  • Synonyms

    Cavendishia purdiei A.C.Sm.

  • Description

    Species Description - Epiphyte or terrestrial shrub to 2 m tall; mature branches terete, glabrous, grayish; bark cracking longitudinally; twigs subterete, striate, densely short-pilose, reddish-brown. Leaves lanceolate, ovate-elliptic, oblong-elliptic, oblanceolate, or linear-lanceolate, (1.5-)3-6(-8) x (0.4-)0.6-1 .4(-2.5) cm, basally rounded to narrowly obtuse and subcordate, apically short- to long-acuminate, apex itself sharply acute or blunt, margins entire or rarely irregularly crenate, basically glabrous on both surfaces although extreme distal margins usually persistently ciliate with translucent hairs 0.5-0.7 mm long; 3-5-plinerved with nerves impressed or elevated above and weakly raised beneath; petioles terete, rugose, 1.5-2.5 mm long and 0.5-0.8 mm in diam., densely short-pilose. Inflorescence 6-12-flowered; rachis bluntly angled, glabrous, 1-1.5 cm long and 1.5 mm in diam.; floral bracts oblanceolate, 16-18 X 8 mm, apically emarginate, glabrous, purple to purplish-violet when fresh; pedicels terete, striate, glabrous, 4-6 mm long at anthesis (elongating to 8 mm) and 0.8 mm diam., with irregularly shaped, angular glands at distal tip which secrete a white, sticky latex; bracteoles located at base, succulent, ovate, 0.6-1 mm long, glabrous, glandular-callose over entire margin and distal 1/3 of blade. Flowers: calyx glabrous, 2-4.5 mm long; hypanthium cylindric, smooth, 0.5-1.5 mm long, basally apophysate with a short rim which is shallowly undulate or lobed; limb campanulate, 1.5-2.5 mm long; lobes triangular, acute, 0.75-1.5 mm long, erect after anthesis, margins glandular-callose with glands contiguous at apex; sinus broadly rounded; corolla cylindric, glabrous or rarely puberulent in distal half, 12-14 mm long and 4.5 mm diam., lower 14 purple (or purplish-green), upper ¼ white (or pale green), lobes deltoid, 1.5-2 mm long, wide-spreading at anthesis, their margins purple; stamens 11-11.5 mm long (from 12 mm corolla); filaments with the short ones pilose at distal tip, the long ones pilose medially, alternately ca. 1.5 mm and 3-3.5 mm long; anthers alternately ca. 10 mm and 8.5-9 mm long; thecae 2.5-3.5 mm long; style ca. 14 mm long. Berry 9-10 mm diam., blue-black.

  • Discussion

    Cavendishia angustifolia is characterized by narrow, more or less elliptic-lanceolate leaves, few-flowered inflorescence, short rachis, pedicels glandular at the apex, short corollas, and purple to purplish-violet corollas with white apices.

    In 1932, Smith described C. purdiei from a specimen (Purdie s.n., K) “in rather poor condition.” It keyed with species having the calyx limb longer than the tube in contrast to C. angustifolia (also then known only from the type) which had the limb usually shorter than the tube. The leaves of C. purdiei were described as 1.2-2 cm broad; those of C. angustifolia 0.6-1 cm broad. The pedicel of C. purdiei was said to have “a ring of cartilaginous teeth” at the apex, while none were mentioned for C. angustifolia. The specimens now available and my field observations show that leaves vary continuously in breadth from 0.4 to 1.4 cm, the cartilaginous teeth are actually angular glands present in all collections, and the calyx limb is always longer than the tube (=hypanthium) although appearing shorter after anthesis when the ovary begins to develop. Køie 4758 and Vogel 105, both from the wet lowland (400-500 m) forest of western Valle Dept., show extremely narrow linear-lanceolate leaves 3-4 X 0.4-0.6 cm. Three other collections, Díaz P. 1201, 1202 and Fassett 25417, all from Santander Dept., show the opposite extreme in leaf width, being elliptic-lanceolate, long-acuminate and 3.57 x 1.5-2.5 cm. Floral characters, however, are typical for the species.

    Cavendishia angustifolia is most closely related to amoena. The latter differs in consistently smaller leaves with basically rounded apices and less conspicuous venation, fewer-flowered inflorescences, somewhat connivent calyx lobes, and different corolla coloration.

  • Distribution

    Endemic to Colombia where found in all three cordilleras, inhabiting primary forest, cloud forest, secondary forest, brushy roadside slopes, and remnant trees in pastureland at elevations of 400-2500 m. It flowers in nearly every month; fruiting specimens have been collected only in March and May.

    Colombia South America| Antioquia Colombia South America| Chocó Colombia South America| Cundinamarca Colombia South America| Santander Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America|