Macleania dodsonii Luteyn

  • Authority

    Luteyn, James L. 1986. New species of Ceratostema (Ericaceae: Vaccinieae) from the northern Andes. J. Arnold Arbor. 67: 485-492.

  • Family

    Ericaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Macleania dodsonii Luteyn

  • Type

    Type: Ecuador. El Oro: 10 km W of Pinas, 900 m, 8 Oct 1979 (fl), Dodson et al. 8988 (holotype, NY; isotypes, MO, QCNE, SEL).

  • Description

    Species Description - Epiphytic, lianoid shrub; stem subterete, bluntly angled, glabrous; twigs subterete, bluntly angled or ribbed, striate, reddish-brown, glabrous or puberulent, often also short glandular-fimbriate. Leaves subcoriaceous, narrowly ovate to linear-lanceolate, 2.2-7 x 0.5-1.8 cm, base tapering, cuneate to acute, apex acuminate to long-acuminate, margin flat or slightly revolute at base, glabrous on both surfaces but moderately densely glandular-fimbriate with reddish-brown hairs, ca. 0.2-0.3 mm long, these deciduous above; 3(5-)-plinerved from near the base, midrib impressed above, raised and prominent beneath, lateral nerves plane to slightly raised proximally above but inconspicuous, raised and prominent beneath, reticulate veinlets obscure on both surfaces; petiole subterete, rugose, 1.5-3 mm long, weakly puberulent. Inflorescence axillary, fasciculate, 1-2-flowered, surrounded at the base by a series of oblong to ovate, obtuse to acute bracts to ca. 1 mm long; floral bract ovate to reniform, acute or rounded, 1.2-1.5 x 1-2 mm, glabrous but sometimes densely glandular-fimbriate dorsally; pedicel subterete, coarsely striate or ribbed, 6-8 mm long, glandular-fimbriate; bracteoles nearly basal, ovate, acute, 1-1.5 mm long, glabrous. Flowers with calyx apparently continuous with the pedicel or very weakly articulated, 3.5-5 mm long, densely glandular-fimbriate; hypanthium cylindric to barrel-shaped, 2-3 mm long, narrowly winged over the entire length; limb campanulate, 2.3-2.5 mm long, narrowly winged or angled, the wings not extended beyond the limb; lobes apiculate, < 0.5 mm long; sinuses broadly rounded; corolla cylindric, terete or weakly angled, 17-20 mm long and ca. 3 mm diam., glabrous without but densely pilose at throat within, also moderately densely glandular-fimbriate without, red (fide label), the lobes deltate, acute, ca. 1.5-2 mm long; stamen (from 17 mm long corolla) ca. 9 mm long; filaments connate into a tube, ca. 4 mm long, glabrous, the connectives alternately shouldered; anthers ca. 6 mm long; thecae ca. 3.5 mm long; tubules fused into one, ca. 2.5 mm long, dehiscing by a oval cleft ca. 1.5 mm long; style (18-)20-21 mm long, glabrous. Berry not seen.

    Distribution and Ecology - Endemic to Ecuador; lowland cloud forest at 530-900 m altitude.