Bejaria mathewsii Fielding & Gardner

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Bejaria mathewsii Fielding & Gardner

  • Primary Citation

    Sert. Pl. 1: t. 69. 1844

  • Common Names

    angucho, angujo

  • Description

    Description: Shrub or tree 1.5-8 m tall; bark fissured, glabrous or tomentose, dark brown; twigs subterete, dark brown, rusty-red, or grayish-orange, usually tomentose and hispid. Leaves coriaceous, flat, narrowly elliptic to elliptic, occasionally narrowly ovate to ovate, (1.9-)2.8-5.8(-7.2) x 0.6-2 cm, base cuneate, rarely obtuse, apex acute to obtuse (acuminate or mucronate), margin entire, both surfaces usually glabrous (tomentose, hispid or glandular-hispid); petiole flattened adaxially, (1.5-)3-7(10.5) mm long, usually tomentose or glabrous (hispid or glandular-hispid). Inflorescence terminal or usually terminal with axillary racemes, 6-12(-21)-flowered; rachis 2-7.5(-11) cm long and 0.9-2.9 mm diam., gray, tan, brown, or orange, tomentose (hispid or glandular-hispid); pedicels ascending, 7-28 mm long and 0.6-1.5(-1.7) mm diam., tomentose (hispid or glandular-hispid); bracteoles inserted on basal 1/2 of pedicel, narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate (elliptic to ovate), flat or often slightly involute, 1.3-4.8 x 0.4-1.9 mm, base cuneate or truncate, apex acute to acuminate (obtuse), margin entire, often ciliolate (glandular-ciliate), both surfaces tomentose or glabrous; floral bracts narrowly elliptic to narrowly ovate (ovate), revolute, 0.45-27 x 0.9-6.2(-10) mm, base cuneate or truncate, apex acuminate or acute (obtuse), margin usually ciliate (entire or glandular ciliate), both surfaces usually tomentose (glabrous or glandular-hispid). Flowers 7-merous; calyx 3.9-7.9 mm long; tube 0.5-2.8 mm long and 2.7-6 mm diam., rusty-red, brown, or gray, glabrous or tomentose (glandular-hispid); lobes widely to very widely ovate (ovate, widely depressed ovate, widely elliptic, or deltate), apex acute to obtuse, (mucronate), 2.7-5.6 x 2-4.9 mm, the longest lobes (3.1-)3.4-5.6 mm long, margin erose, ciliolate, or ciliate, abaxial surface tomentose or glabrous (glandular-hispid); corolla tubular, pink to red, sometimes white, petals undulate, narrowly obovate or elliptic, (15.5-)18.5-35.5 x (3.3-)4.4-10(-12.5) mm, margin entire, often distally slightly tomentose; stamens slightly exserted (subequal to corolla or long exserted), (15.5-)19-35.5(-48.5) mm long; filaments tomentose; anthers 1.9-4 mm long and 0.8-1.7 mm diam., glabrous or slightly tomentose; ovary glabrous; style exserted, 20.5-53 mm long; stigma lobed. Capsules depressed globose, 4.5-6 mm long and 8.4-11.8 mm diam., dark brown, valves separating from the pericarp; seeds 1.2-1.7(-2.6) mm long and 0.2-0.6 mm diam.

    Distribution: Central and S Colombia, extreme S Ecuador and N Peru, in montane forests and shrub páramos, at (1350-)1500-3200(-3900) m. It flowers and bears fruit throughout the year.

    Local Names: angucho or angujo (Cauca).

    Type: Amazonas: Chachapoyas, Mathews 1426 (lectotype, designated by Mansfeld & Sleumer (1935): K, photos A neg. 1038, NY neg. 11704; isolectotypes: CGE, E, G, K, NY, OXF, P, S, photo NY neg. 11705). One of the OXF specimens appears to be the material used for the plate that accompanies the protologue.

    Source: http://www.nybg.org/bsci/res/lut2/

  • Floras and Monographs

    Bejaria mathewsii Fielding & Gardner: [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.