Agarista chlorantha (Cham.) G.Don

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Agarista chlorantha (Cham.) G.Don

  • Primary Citation

    Gen. Hist. 3: 838. 1834

  • Basionym

    Andromeda chlorantha Cham.

  • Description

    Description: Erectly branched shrub or subshrub to 1.5 m tall, with bark usually not well developed; twigs with or without scattered gland-headed hairs, otherwise moderately to densely pubescent, with ± nonchambered to hollow pith; buds to ca. 0.6 mm long, leaves revolute. Leaves coriaceous, ovate or narrowly ovate to orbicular or even suborbicular, 0.7-2.5 x 0.25-1.3(-1.7) cm, base cordate, apex acute- to rounded-mucronate, margin entire, often sinuous (serrulate due to gland-headed hairs), strongly to slightly revolute (± plane), adaxial surface sparsely pubescent on midvein, especially basal portion, abaxial surface with or without gland-headed hairs on midvein, otherwise glabrous to sparsely pubescent on basal portion of midvein, often with few very inconspicuous glandular dots along midvein; petiole 1-4 mm long. Inflorescences axillary (terminal) racemes to (1-)1.5-8.5 cm long (flowers solitary, axillary), rachis with or without scattered gland-headed hairs, otherwise moderately to densely pubescent; pedicels 3.5-13 mm long, with or without gland-headed hairs, otherwise moderately to densely pubescent; bracteoles 2 (several), alternate to subopposite from nearly basal to within lower 1/3 of pedicel (to near apex), triangular to linear (ovate), to ca. 2.5 mm long; floral bracts to 3 mm long. Flowers with triangular to ovate calyx lobes, with ± acute apices, 2.5-5.5 x 0.8-1.7 mm, abaxial surface with or without gland-headed hairs, otherwise very sparsely to densely pubescent; corolla cylindrical, white (reddish toward apex), 7-11.5 x 3-6.5 mm, glabrous; filaments 5.5-6.5 mm long; anthers 1-1.6 mm long; ovary sparsely to densely pubescent. Capsules short-ovoid to subglobose, 3-5 x 4.5-7 mm, placentae subapical; seeds 1-2.1 mm long.

    Distribution: Endemic to SE Brazil (from Distrito Federal south to Minas Gerais and São Paulo, and disjunctly from Paraná south to Santa Catarina), in wet, boggy or marshy campo, with grasses, sedges, and Xyris, open rocky and/or grassy areas, gallery forest, at 700-1650 m alt. Flowering late August through December (January).

    Illustration: Judd (1995), fig. 10.

    Type: Brazil. Without definite locality, Sellow s.n. (holotype, B, destroyed; frag. of holotype, F; photos of holotype, F, G, GH; frag. of isotype, NY).

  • Floras and Monographs

    Agarista chlorantha (Cham.) G.Don: [Article] Luteyn, James L., et al. 1995. Ericaceae, Part II. The Superior-Ovaried Genera (Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Rhododendroideae, and Vaccinioideae P.P.). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 66: 560.