Cavendishia axillaris A.C.Sm.

  • Authority

    Luteyn, James L. 1976. A revision of the Mexican Central American species of Cavendishia (Vacciniaceae). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 28 (3): 1-138.

  • Family

    Ericaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cavendishia axillaris A.C.Sm.

  • Description

    Species Description - Terrestrial or epiphytic shrubs, 0.5-1.5(-3) m tall, glabrous throughout when mature; stem base 1-2.5 cm in diameter. Mature branches often arching, terete to bluntly angled, smooth or striate; bark often reddish above and brown to grayish-brown beneath; immature branches and twigs of new growth terete or flattened, densely puberulent, becoming glabrous. Petioles subterete, striate or rugose, 1.5-3(-5) mm long and 2.5-3.5(-4.5) mm in diameter, dark reddishbrown. Leaves ovate, obovate, elliptic, or suborbicular, 4.5-10.5(-17) cm long and (2.5-)4-11 cm broad, basally cuneate, obtuse, or rounded and subcordate then often slighdy amplexicaul, apically obtuse or rounded, grayish- to brownish green above and tan to olive-green beneath when dry; pinnately veined midrib raised on both surfaces, conspicuously thickened in proximal third (3-5 times thicker than distal pordon which narrows and is impressed above), lateral nerves arcuate, anastomosing near margin, impressed above (sometimes very strongly), raised and very prominent beneath, hence leaves frequently bullate, veinlets impressed or slightly raised above, raised beneath, newly unfolding leaves puberulent becoming glabrous. Infiorescence solitary, or rarely with 2-5 per axil, tightly racemose with floral internodes about 1 mm long, (5-)9-15(-47) flowered, capitate or cylindric at anthesis; encircled at base by striate bracts; rachis terete or bluntly angled, l-2(-8) cm long, floral nodes swollen. Floral bracts smooth or muricate, striate when dry with conspicuously thickened, dichotomously branching veins, obovate to semiorbicular, basally truncate, apically rounded or acute, apex usually splitting deeply, 7-10(-13) mm long and (5.5-)8-11(-13) mm broad, marginally scarious and densely glandularfimbriate, concave, tightly appressed to and thus concealing calyx and lower portion of corolla at anthesis, often persistent until after berry has matured, pink to dark rose-red. Pedicels to 1 mm long and broad, rarely with few cartilaginous teeth distally. Bracteoles smooth or muricate when fresh, but conspicuously striate when dry, elliptic-oblong, basally truncate, apically rounded, (5-)7-9 mm long and (2-)4-6 mm broad, marginally scarious and densely glandularfimbriate, concave and strongly keeled, rarely flat, imbricate and completely enveloping perianth in bud, tightly appressed to calyx at anthesis, pink to dark rose-red. Calyx (4.5-)6-7.5 mm long; tube cylindric, smooth to rugose, non-apophysate, (1.5-)2.5-3 mm long and 2.5 mm in diameter, pink to pale green; limb spreading to campanulate, conspicuously striate within and without when dry as lobes, (2.5-)3.5-4(-5) mm long including lobes, pale green; lobes ovate to triangular, rarely oblong, acute, 1-2 mm long and 1.5-3 mm wide, erect after anthesis, margins glandular-fimbriate and occasionally slightly imbricate at base, pale green and occasionally marginally pink; sinus acute or narrowly obtuse. Corolla cylindric or slighdy bottle-shaped, narrowed at throat, (6.5-) 9-10 mm long and 3.5-4(-6) mm in diameter, often glandular fimbriate distally, white to pale green the basal third, green to yellowish-green mid twothirds, limb and lobes pale green; lobes oblong to narrowly triangular, obtuse, 1-2 mm long. Stamens 6-8.5 mm long; filaments short puberulent distally, alternately either 1.5-2.5 mm or 2.5-3.5 mm long; anthers including tubules alternately either 4-6 mm or 5-6.5 mm long; thecae 1.5-2.5 mm long. Style 8-9 mm long. Berry 9-10 mm in diameter. Phenology: Flowering sporadically throughout the year.

  • Discussion

    Cavendishia gaultkerioides A. C. Smith, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 28: 444. 1941. Type. Panama: Province of Cocle. Vicinity of La Mesa, N of EI Valle de Anton, l000 m Allen 2375 (Holotype: A! photo of type DUKE! isotype: MO!).

    Careful examination of the Colombian type of C. axillaris (Pennell 4375) with collections of C gaultherioides from Panama and Costa Rica, reveals their conspecificity. The epithet C. axillaris has priority. Cavendishia axillaris was described from a single specimen and as far as I am able to tell, no other specimens have since been so identified. A Thomas collection from Antioquia, Colombia (Herb. Daniel 3899, US) represents only the second South American collection of C axillaris. In 1941, Smith described C. gaultherioides from Cocle, Panama. The latter species was later recognized to be widely scattered, but uncommon, throughout Panama and central Costa Rica. Although its range extends from Costa Rica to Colombia, C. axillans displays litde morphological variability. Only the texture of the leaf lamina varies to any great extent, with the Costa Rican plants more strongly bullate. However, until more collections are available very little m a y be said about the overall patterns of geographical variation.

    In Central America, C. axillaris is, in general, found between 700-1500 meters. It is well characterized by pinnately veined, subsessile leaves, compact inflorescences, conspicuously nerved floral bracts and bracteoles which are tightly appressed to the calyx, and by small flowers. Numerous Central American collections have been misidentified as C. complectens. Together they share pinnately veined leaves and rather compact inflorescence, although the rachis of C. complectens m a y lengthen considerably after anthesis. They are most easily separated by the fact that the leaves of C. complectens are amplexicaul and the calyx lobes are reniform and broadly imbricate; whereas in C. axillaris the leaves are never amplexicaul, the calyx lobes are triangular to ovate, and they are rarely imbricate at the very base of the lobe.

    The following collection is suspected to be of hybrid origin from the putative cross between C. axillaris and C. quereme: COSTA RICA. Cartago: 11-20 km E of Orosi, 1500-1700 m, Almeda et al. 2161 (DUKE, NY).

    The following collection is suspected to be of hybrid origin from the putative cross between C. axillaris and C. complectens: COSTA RICA. Cartago: forested slopes above Rio Grande de Orosi, Tapanti, 1700 m , Wilbur & Stone 9823 (DUKE, FSU).

    Type: Colombia: Department of Bolivar. Forest above Cascada Chorron, south of Antizales, 2300-2700 m, Pennell 4375 (NY! photo of type DUKE!).

  • Distribution

    Distribution: Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia; 700-2700 m elevation. Fig. 34.

    Panama Central America| Costa Rica South America| Colombia South America|