Psammisia oreogenes Sleumer

  • Authority

    Smith, Albert C. 1952. Plants collected in Ecuador by W. H. camp. Vaceiniaceae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (1): 41-85.

  • Family

    Ericaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Psammisia oreogenes Sleumer

  • Description

    Species Description - (vine-like epiphyte; leaves deep green above, pale beneath; at anthesis peduncles deep coral-red and hypanthium pale coral, deeply grooved; base of corolla red, white toward the end, the apex green; bracts and pedicels green; flowers in axils of leaves), (epiphytic vine, with flowers on old wood; pedicels deep coral-red, the bracts green; hypanthium pale yellowish coral; lower part of corolla red, the apex green, without white zone noted in no. 1677 but in same stage, the corolla much broader).

  • Discussion

    In foliage these two specimens appear conspecific, but unfortunately the flowers described for no. 2678 have been lost. Differences can be observed between these plants and the description of P. oreogenes, typified by Heilborn 488, also from Pichincha. Dr. Camp's specimens have the petioles slightly longer, the pedicels shorter, more slender, and glandular-pilose distally rather than glabrous, the calyx glandular-strigillose rather than glabrous, the stamens somewhat longer (about 9 mm. long), and the anther-tubules about 5 mm. rather than 2.5-3 mm. long. Our specimens differ from the allied P. sodiroi in the merely apiculate calyxlimb, the longer corolla, and in details of venation, in which characters they seem to agree with Sleumer's species.

  • Distribution

    Pichincha: Western slope of the Cordillera, Cerro Corazon, 8,000-9,300 ft. elev., Camp E-2677; Camp E-1678 (NY only)

    Ecuador South America|