Thibaudia yungensis Luteyn & Pedraza

Authority

Pedraza-Peñalosa, Paola & Luteyn, James L. 2010. New species of Ericaceae (Vaccinieae) from the Andes of Bolivia and Peru. Brittonia. 62 (1): 39-56.

Family

Ericaceae

Scientific Name

Thibaudia yungensis Luteyn & Pedraza

Description

Description - Terrestrial or epipytic shrubs. Twigs angled, glabrous; mature stems subterete, the bark fissured, brown, glabrous. Leaves alternate, spirally arranged; petioles subterete, canaliculate above, narrowly winged, 2-6 mm long, glabrous; blades coriaceous, búllate, obovate, (6.7-)8-13.5x(4.7-)5-8.5 cm, the base atten- uate and decurrent, the margin entire, eciliate, revolute in dried material, the apex obtuse, glabrous above, glabrescent beneath with scat- tered, simple, multicellular, reddish, glandular hairs; venation pinnate, the midrib thickened and raised in proximal 1/3 then strongly impressed in distal 2/3 above, raised and conspicuous beneath, the secondary nerves 2- 4 per side, strongly impressed and arcuate- ascending above, anastomosing, raised and conspicuous beneath, the tertiary nerves retic- ulate, impressed and slightly conspicuous above, raised beneath. Inflorescences axillary, solitary, racemose, 1 3-20-flowered; bracts (ca. 4), floral bract, and bracteoles (2) similar, deciduous, ovate, 2-3 x 1-2 mm, the margins ciliolate with few, deciduous, simple, unicellu- lar, eglandular hairs, the apices acute; rachis sharply angled, scarred, 1.3-2.8 cm long, glabrous; pedicels articulate with calyx, 1.5- 1.9 cm long, expanding distally, 1.5 mm diam. at base, 3-3.8 mm diam. at apex, glabrous; bracteoles inserted near base of pedicel, sub- opposite. Flowers 5-merous, diplostemonous. Calyx campanulate or cylindric overall, terete and shortly apophysate at base, 6-7.5(-8) mm long, glabrous or glabrate with few, simple, multicellular and glandular hairs at base, the aestivation apparently valvate; tube subcylindric, 2.6 - 3.5 (-4) mm long; limb 3.3 - 3.5 (-4) mm long; lobes deltate, 0.9-1.5x2.6-3.5 mm, the margin eciliate, the apex acute; sinuses broadly rounded. Corolla bistratose, fleshy, red becoming white towards lobes, urceolate or conical, inflated towards base, 1 .6-2 .1 cm long, 7.8-8 mm diam., glabrous within and without, the aestivation valvate; lobes ovate, 1-1 .2 x 1.6-1.9 mm long, the apex acute. Stamens 10, equal, included, 11.5-12 mm long; filaments equal, distinct, long-triangular, straight, 2.5- 2.8 mm long, the connectives sometimes alternately spurred with the spur tips pointing upwards, with few, marginal, simple, unicellu- lar, eglandular hairs; anthers equal, distinct, 10- 10.5 mm long; thecae ca. 5.8-6.4 mm long, with or without basal appendage, minutely papillate, the cells shaped as jigsaw-puzzle pieces; tubules 2, distinct, 4.4-4.6 mm long, dehiscing by introrse slits, 2-3.5 mm long. Ovary 5-locular, placentation axile; style in- cluded, 1.1-1.5 cm long. Immature berry, terete, green turning purple.

Discussion

Phenology. - Flowering specimens have been collected in April, May, July, and August.

Thibaudia yungensis is characterized by leaves that are large, thick - coriaceous, flat (not revolute), conspicuously bullate, obovate, and entire margined; calyx taht is smooth (not warty) and terete; pedicel articulate with the calyx; stamens with filaments distinct and glabrous, tubules long, and connectived that are sometimes spurred. It superficially resembles T. axillaris A.C. Sm. morphologically, but differs from it by the characters mentioned in the diagnosis.