Cavendishia sirensis 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 sirensis Luteyn

• Type

  Type. Peru. Huánuco: SW slope of Río Llulla Pichis watershed, on ascent of Cerros del Sira, steep banks of small lake just below Camp 3, ca. 1280 m, 24 Jui 1969 (fl), Dudley 13231 (holotype, NA, photo NY neg. 10509; isotype, USM, n.v.).

• Description

  Species Description - Lianoid shrub to 2 m tall or high-climbing epiphytic vine; mature branches terete or somewhat flattened, smooth, glaucous, glabrous, reddish-brown to tan; twigs similar to mature branches but with scattered, tiny, subspherical glands. Leaves oblong or oblong-elliptic, (8-) 12-17 X (3-)4-6 cm, basally obtuse, rounded, or rarely truncate, apically abruptly long or short caudate-acuminate, short-pilose along nerves above, glabrous beneath, both surfaces with caducous glandular fimbriae; pinnately veined with 4-6 lateral veins per side although rarely appearing plinerved, midrib noticeably thickened and raised through proximal half otherwise impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, lateral veins impressed above and raised beneath, arching from midrib at 45° and anastomosing near margin to form a collective nerve, veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces; petioles terete or flattened on adaxial surface, slightly rugose, (4-)8-12 mm long and (1-)2-2.5 mm in diam., glabrous or distally puberulent. Inflorescence 13-19-flowered, somewhat fusiform in bud; rachis subterete, bluntly angled, glabrous, 6-8.5 cm long and 2.5-3.5 mm in diam.; floral bracts oblong or oblanceolate, 35-50 x 15-25 mm, apically obtuse or rounded, glabrous, pink to deep red when fresh (fide label data); pedicels subterete, glabrous, ca. 8 mm long and 1-1.2 mm diam. at anthesis but later elongating to 15 mm; bracteoles located near base, cucullate, oblong-lanceolate, 2.5-3.5 X 1 mm, with a conspicuous midrib, glandular callose-thickened marginally distal 1/3. Flowers: calyx glabrous, 7.5-9 mm long; hypanthium subcylindric, rugose, 2-3.5 mm long, basally apophysate and deeply 5-lobed; limb cylindric, erect, striate, 5-5.5 mm long; lobes triangular or ovate, acute, 1.5-2.5 mm long, erect after anthesis, completely or only distal 1/3 glandular-callose; sinus acute; corolla cylindric, glabrous or soft puberulent in bud, glabrous at anthesis, 25-31 mm long and 5-7 mm diam., whitish- to violet-blue, or grayish- to purplish-pink (fide label data); lobes triangular, obtuse, 2 mm long, with an oblanceolate callose gland in middle; stamens 26-28 mm long; filaments with the short ones glabrous and the long sparsely pilose, alternately 25 mm and 9-10 mm long; anthers alternately 25-26 mm and 22 mm long; thecae 10-12 mm long; style 23-29 mm long. Mature berry not seen.

• Discussion

  Distribution and Ecology: Known from 15 collections but only from the type locality where the plants are lianoid shrubs with arching or scrambling branches in rain forest, elfin forest, cloud forest, or exposed cloud forest on steep ridges at elevations of 1000-1850 m. Flowering and fruiting seems to occur June-August. Distribution. Known from 15 collections but only from the type locality where the plants are lianoid shrubs with arching or scrambling branches in rain forest, elfin forest, cloud forest, or exposed cloud forest on steep ridges at elevations of 1000-1850 m. Flowering and fruiting seems to occur June-August. Cavendishia sirensis was collected by T. R. Dudley and F. Wolfe over a two-week period from various habitats on the Cerros del Sira in eastern Peru. Unfortunately only two sheets have mature flowers and therefore the range of variation is incompletely known. It is most closely related to the Colombian C. lindauiana and is discussed with that species.

• Distribution

  Huánuco Peru South America| Peru South America|