Disterigma campii A.C.Sm.
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Authority
Pedraza-Peñalosa, Paola. 2010.
(Ericaceae, Vaccinieae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 108: 1-126. (Published by NYBG Press) -
Family
Ericaceae
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Scientific Name
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Type
Type. Ecuador. Pastaza: valley of Río Pastaza, near jct. of the El Tigre & Pastaza rivers, below Topo, 1700 m, 9 May 1944 (fl), W. H. Camp E-1692 (holotype, US; isotype, NY). Photo NY neg. 9886 of NY.
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Etymology
The species was named after the collector of the type specimen and student of Ericaceae, Wendell H. Camp (1904–1963).
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Description
Species Description - Epiphytic or terrestrial shrubs, wiry, scandent, or prostrate and decumbent. Young branchlets ridged, ± smooth, puberulous, the hairs eglandular, brown, the mature branches indumentum similar but glabrate. Leaves 4–8 per cm, apparently distichous, patent or sometimes diffuse; petiole 0.8–1.2 mm long, puberulous, the hairs eglandular; lamina ovate, elliptic, or rarely obovate, 0.5–1.3 × (0.2–)0.3–0.7 cm, basally obtuse or truncate, marginally entire, often slightly revolute, apically ciliolate with eglandular hairs, apically obtuse, adaxially glabrous or glabrate with eglandular hairs, abaxially glabrate with glandular hairs, the venation adaxially hyphodromous with the midvein impressed, abaxially hyphodromous or 3-nerved with the midvein raised. Axillary solitary flowers; bracts 4–5, chartaceous, ovate or transverse-elliptic, (0.5–)1–1.6 × 1–1.6 mm, sometimes marginally ciliolate with eglandular hairs, apically obtuse, abaxially glabrous; pedicel (0.4–)0.5 mm long, much reduced and hidden by overlapping bracts, glabrate with eglandular hairs; differentiated apical bracteoles 2, distinct, chartaceous, enveloping entire calyx tube, covering 37–60% of calyx, ovate or suborbicular, 1.6–3 × 1.6–3 mm, sometimes marginally ciliolate with eglandular hairs, rarely with glandular hairs, apically obtuse, the surface smooth, abaxially and adaxially glabrous. Flowers 4-merous (rarely 5-merous calyces or 3-merous corollas seen). Calyx aestivation valvate, campanulate, 3.2–4.8 mm long; tube slightly angled, 1.2–2.4 mm long, abaxially glabrous or glabrate with eglandular or glandular hairs; limb 2–3.3 mm long, abaxially glabrate or puberulous (apically) with eglandular or glandular hairs, adaxially glabrous; lobes triangular, 1.6–2.8 × 0.8–1.2 mm, marginally ciliolate with eglandular hairs, apically acute; sinuses rounded (U-shaped). Corolla light green (occasionally suffused with brick red), thin-fleshy, bistratose, campanulate, 4.4–6.3 mm long, 3–4 mm diam., 3–4 mm wide at throat, abaxially and adaxially glabrous; lobes 2.8–3.6 × 2.8–4 mm, strongly reflexed and curled, apically acute or obtuse, adaxially smooth. Stamens 8, 4.4–5.5 mm long, exserted about half their length; filaments distinct, straight, ± linear with parallel sides or broader at base, 1.2–2.4 mm long, abaxially glabrate, adaxially puberulous; anthers distinct, papillae on both thecae and tubules; thecae 1.6–2.5 mm long, without basal appendages; tubules 2, distinct, 0.8–1.3 mm long, dehiscing apically by terminal pores, 0.2 mm long, marginally irregular. Ovary 4-locular; style 4.8 mm long, exserted about half its length. Berry white, ± spherical, 6 mm diam., the persistent calyx lobes erect or spreading, becoming succulent (at least at base), same color as mature berry; embryo color unknown.
Distribution and Ecology - Disterigma campii is found in the Prov. Pastaza, in a relatively small area near Mera, Puyo, and Shell, and the surrounding area of the rivers Anzú, Alpayacu, El Tigre, and Pastaza, in Ecuador (Fig. 14). This species grows in premontane forests at 800–1700 m. Flowering in May and Aug– Jan; fruiting in May and Nov.
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Discussion
Disterigma campii (Fig. 17A) can be easily distinguished because of its wiry habit; apparently distichous and small leaves; smooth differentiated apical bracteoles; corollas light green, adaxially glabrous, and campanulate with the lobes more than half the corolla length and strongly reflexed as to expose the upper half of the stamens; anthers dehiscing apically by terminal pores with irregular margins; and white berries. The flowers from cultivated plants (Cubey 1) are smaller when compared to the wild specimens above described, with corolla 3.6 mm long, lobes 2–2.4 × 1.2 mm, stamens 3.2 mm long, and filaments 0.8–1 mm long. Given that few herbarium specimens exist, it is hard to know if the variation seen in cultivation is representative of the taxon or not. This species is compared with the morphologically similar D. campanulatum and D. dumontii in Table VII.
Disterigma campii has a very restricted geographical distribution and the areas where it has been collected are currently occupied by secondary vegetation; it has been reported in remnants of forests or roadsides. Historically D. campii has been rarely collected and during repeated expeditions to Ecuador it was evident to me the impoverishment of its habitat is due to the accelerated colonization and increasing extraction of wood. Living specimens were confirmed to be at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 2003, from a collection made by G. C. G. Argent in 1976. In the IUCN red list of plants endemic to Ecuador it is categorized as VU D2 (Pedraza- Peñalosa et al., in press).
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Objects
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Distribution
Ecuador South America| Pastaza Ecuador South America|