Cavendishia laurifolia (Klotzsch) Benth. & Hook.f.
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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.
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Family
Ericaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Epiphytic or terrestrial shrubs, 1-3 m tall; stem base 2.5-5 cm in diameter. Mature branches arching, terete, striate, glabrous; bark tan to grayish-brown; immature branches and twigs of new growth subterete or flattened with blunt angles, striate, reddish-brown, densely puberulous and often with short, reddish, glandular laminae. Petioles subterete, smooth, striate, or commonly rugose, 2-5 mm long and 0.5-1.5 mm in diameter, densely puberulous adaxially, reddishbrown. Leaves slightly bullate when fresh, drying bullate or flat, lanceolate, ovate or lance-elliptic, (3.5-)6-12.5 cm long and (l-)2-4 cm broad, basally rounded or obtuse, rarely subcordate, apicaUy acuminate, tan or olive-brown when dry, puberulous above along proximal portions of midrib and lateral nerves, glabrous beneath; 3-5-plinerved, midrib and lateral nerves impressed above, veinlets raised and conspicuous above, midrib and lateral nerves raised and conspicuous beneath, veinlets plane or raised but obscure beneath. Infiorescence (8-)l7-32(-45) flowered with lowermost nodes bracteolate but sterile; rachis subterete, striate, weakly muricate, glabrous, 4-15(-20) cm long and 1-2 mm in diameter, rose-pink at anthesis but turning whitish or pale green. Floral bracts muricate, glabrous, oblong, obovate, or oblanceolate, 7-13 mm long and 3.5-6.5(-10) mm broad, basaHy narrowed, apically obtuse to broadly rounded, rarely acute, marginaUy scarious and densely glandular-fimbriate, bract concave, oriented perpendicular to or somewhat recurved with respect to rachis, deep rose-pink. Pedicels swollen distaHy, striate, (9-)14-22(-26) mm long (14-17 mm at anthesis) and 0.5-1 mm in diameter, rose-pink at anthesis but turning whitish or pale green, densely covered with reddish, glandular fimbriae 0.3 mm long when young, these caducous. Bracteoles oblong to ovate, 1-2.5 mm long and 0.5-1 (-2) mm broad, basally slightiy auriculate, marginally densely glandular fimbriate, rose-pink. Calyx 2.5-3.5 mm long, green in bud, dark wine-red at anthesis, later turning green; tube cylindric but slightly pentagonal in crosssection, rugose, 0.5-1 mm long and 2.5-3(-4) mm in diameter, basally slightiy apophysate, densely covered in b u d by reddish, glandular fimbriae; limb broadly campanulate, muricate, 1.5-3 mm long including lobes, densely glandularfimbriate these usually persisting to fruit; lobes triangular or oblong, (0.2-)0.5-1 mm long, connivent after anthesis, marginally thin and glandular-fimbriate; sinus acute in bud becoming broadly rounded to flat at anthesis. Corolla bottie-shaped, bluntly 5-angled opposite calyx lobes, constricted basally, (6.5-) 8-10(-12) mm long and 5.5-6.5 mm in diameter at widest point; tube with scattered glandular fimbriae, white lowest two-thirds, dark rose-red upper third plus limb and lobes; lobes oblong, acute, slightly flaring at anthesis. Stamens alternately either 6-7 mm or 7-8.5 mm long; filaments densely puberulous distal half, alternately either 1.5-3 mm or 2.5-4 mm long, white to pinkishwhite; anthers including tubules alternately either 4-5.5 mm or 5.5-7 mm long, orangish-brown to maroon; thecae 1.5-3 mm long. Style 8-9 mm long. Berry glabrous, 6-7 mm in diameter. Phenology: Flowering sporadically throughout the year.
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Discussion
Polyboea laurifolia Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 31. 1851. Type: Guatemala: Department of Alta Verapaz. Warszewicz s.n. (Lectotype: B, not seen, presumably destroyed, photo of lectotype DUKE! F! NY!).
Chupalon laurifolium (Kl.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 2: 383, 1891.
Cavendishia tuerckheimii Hoerold, Bot. Jahrb. 42: 323. 1909. Type: Guatemala: Department of Alta Verapaz. Coban, Tuerckheim 64 (Holotype: B, not seen, presumably destroyed, photo of type DUKE! NY! isotypes: GH! NY! US!).
Although there exists a Warszewicz collection (BR, W ) which bears the label data "Costa Rica et Veragua," C laurifolia has never been recollected in either Costa Rica or Panama. Savage (1969) demonstrated that at least one of Warszewicz's zoological collections from Veraguas was a mislabeled Peruvian specimen. Elsewhere Savage (1970) expressed doubt as to the credibility of the data on several other Panamanian collections. Perhaps these botanical specimens have also been mislabeled. In the description of C tue.rkheimii, Hoerold (1909) m a d e no mention of how the taxon differed from C. laurifolia. T h e protologue and the isotypes differ in no way from C. laurifolia.
The relationships of C. laurifolia have already been discussed along with the discussion of C. quereme.
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Distribution
Distribution: Eastern Chiapas, Mexico and Guatemala; 250-1650 m elevation. Fig. 32.
Mexico North America| Guatemala Central America|