Psammisia idalima A.C.Sm.
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Authority
1952. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 71.
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Family
Ericaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type: Ecuador. Azuay: E cordillera, 1-8 km N of Sevilla de Oro, 2440-2745 m, 27 Jul 1945 (fl), Camp E-4597 (holotype, US; isotypes, F, GH, K, NY; photo of NY type NY neg. 9755).
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Description
Species Description - Terrestrial or epiphyte, scandent or lianoid shrub to 2 m, glabrous in all parts except staminal filaments; stem terete, smooth, bearing along internodes large chartaceous, lanceolate-oblong bracts 5-10 mm long; twigs terete, striate. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, (9-)12-25(-31) x (2-)5-10 cm, base broadly cuneate to rounded and very shortly attenuate onto petiole, apex long-acuminate, margin revolute at very base; pinnately nerved with (5-)7-9 lateral nerves per side, midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets impressed or slightly raised above and raised beneath; petiole terete, rugose, 5-10 mm long. Inflorescence axillary, short-racemose, 4-9-flowered; rachis 2-10 mm long, surrounded at base by a series of ovate, obtuse bractsca. 1-1.5 mm long; floral bract oblong to ovate, acute to obtuse, 2-3 mm long, marginally glandular-fimbriate (sometimes fused); pedicel subterete, striate, (12-)17-22 mm long, crimson, distally glandular-fimbriate; bracteoles basal or nearly so, similar to floral bract. Flowers with calyx 5-6 mm long, crimson; hypanthium cylindric but distinctly narrowed at limb, 2--3 mm long, the base truncate to rounded; limb campanulate-spreading, 3-4.5 mm long, irregularly splitting with lobes sometimes fused; lobes ovate, acuminate to apiculate, 2-3 mm long, the margins "torn"; sinuses acute; corolla conical-urceolate, ± globose basally and conspicuously constricted at the throat, 7-9 mm long and to 8 mm diam. near base, red to crimson in lower part and white to pink above, the lobes spreading, triangular, acute, 1-1.5 mm long, white to pink; stamenca. 4.5-4.8 mm long; filaments distinct, 1-2 mm long, marginally densely short-pilose; anthers 3.5-4.2 mm long; thecae 2.5-2.7 mm long, the base strongly curved, the connectives without spurs; tubules apparently coherent in the proximal half,ca. 1.7 mm long, dehiscing by slitsca. 0.6 mm long. Immature berry, spherical, to 14 mm diam., green.
Distribution and Ecology - Southern Colombia (Putumayo) and Ecuador; premontane forest to montane rainforest, at 1830-3200 m altitude.