Cavendishia urophylla 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 urophylla A.C.Sm.

  • Type

    Type. Colombia. Valle: Agua Clara, along hwy. from Buenaventura to Cali, 100 m, 6 Jun 1944 (fl), Killip & Cuatrecasas 38893 (holotype, A, photo NY neg. 9085; isotype, US, photo NY neg. 9150).

  • Description

    Species Description - Epiphytic shrub, totally glabrous; mature branches terete, with gray bark cracking longitudinally; twigs subterete and broadly flattened, smooth to slightly striate, nitid, reddish-brown, provided with minute spherical glands ca. 0.1 mm diam. along length which are sunken into small pustules. Leaves elliptic, 4-7.7 x 1.5-2.6 cm, basally obtuse, sometimes rounded or cuneate, apically conspicuously caudate-acuminate with acumen 1.5-2.5 cm long, glandular fimbriae sunken into lower lamina and minute subspherical glands sunken into upper lamina; 3(-5)-plinerved from base, midrib impressed above and raised beneath, inner pair of lateral nerves impressed through proximal 3/4 otherwise plane above, raised but inconspicuous beneath, outer pair of lateral nerves (when present) plane and obscure on both surfaces; petiole subterete, slightly canaliculate adaxially, rugose, 4-6 mm long and 0.7-1 mm diam. Inflorescence 2-4-flowered, encircled at base by subcoriaceous, oblong, apically rounded bracts ca. 26(-40?) x 18 mm; rachis stout, 5-6 mm long and 2.5-4 mm in basal diam., proximal 3 mm a peduncle made up of overlapping bract scars; floral bracts oblong or obovate, 32-40 x 1526 mm, apically rounded or shallowly emarginate; pedicels subterete, broadly bluntly angled, glabrous, 5-8 mm long and 1.5-3 mm diam., eglandular; bracteoles linear-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 6-11.5(-15)X 1.5-3(-5) mm, margins densely glandular with spherical glands which are often stipitate (stipes 0.1-0.2 mm). Flowers: calyx 8-11 mm long; hypanthium subcylindric, 10-ribbed, 2.5-4 mm long and to 6.5 mm diam., basally apophysate with apophysis margin broadly and shallowly undulate; limb erect to spreading, muricate, 5.5—7 mm long; lobes triangular, 2-3 x 2.5 mm, erect after anthesis, each margin provided distally with an oblong, callose gland 1.5-2 mm long and proximally with a smaller gland 0.5 mm long, these glands not contiguous at lobe tip; sinus obtuse; corolla cylindric, ca. 25-32 mm long (immature), white with grayish or brownish lobe margins (fide Cuatrecasas 16164); stamens (immature) ca. 22.5-30 mm long; filaments alternately 1-3 mm and 9.5-10 mm long; anthers alternately 22-28 mm and 14.5— 20 mm long; thecae alternately 9-17 mm and 8-11 mm long; style ca. 28-29 mm long. Berry not seen.

  • Discussion

    Although no mature flowers are available, C. urophylla appears to be a distinct species characterized by small, elliptic, caudate-acuminate leaves; few-flowered inflorescences; an extremely short, stout, “pedunculate” rachis; linear- to oblong-lanceolate bracteoles; and marginally glandular-callose bracteoles and calyx lobes. Furthermore, the anther thecae are proportionately long in relation to the tubules. Smith (1946) gave wrong dimensions for the floral bracts, and his fig. 3c should read “bracteole” not “flower-subtending bract.”

    Smith (1946) stated that C. coccinea was most closely allied to urophylla, a conclusion most certainly based on similar small, caudate-acuminate leaves. I think, however, that the similarity of leaf size and shape is due to convergence and does not indicate relationship. Instead, urophylla is more closely related to C. engleriana which it resembles in stem and leaf glands; canaliculate petioles like those of C. engleriana var. ecuadorensis; glabrous or moderately hispid leaf undersurfaces; “pedunculate,” few-flowered inflorescences with short rachis which is thickest at the base; stout, broadly angled pedicels; narrow, nearly linear to linear bracteoles with stipitate glands; and overall appearance of the calyces. They differ basically in leaf size and venation, flower number, rachis length, geographical distribution, and in C. engleriana’s glandular pedicels. Their mutual relationship to C. adenophora and C. nitens is discussed with C. engleriana.

  • Distribution

    Known only from dense forest and secondary growth in western Valle Dept., Colombia at elevations of 0-100 m. Flowering specimens have been collected in February, June, and August.

    Colombia South America| Valle Colombia South America|