Cavendishia aurantiaca Luteyn

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Cavendishia aurantiaca Luteyn

  • Primary Citation

    Brittonia 32: 190. 1980

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Isotype -- J. L. Luteyn 7236

  • Description

    Description: Terrestrial shrub to 1.5 m tall; mature branches terete, striate, glabrous or ppuberulent, dull reddish-brown; twigs subterete or bluntly angled, striate, puberulent. Leaves subcoriaceous, ovate to ovate-elliptic, (3.5-)5.5-11 x (1.5-)3-4.5 cm, basally rounded or somewhat truncate or obtuse, apically long-acuminate, glabrous except for midrib which is pubescent above; pinnately veined, midrib raised above and beneath and conspicuously thickened through proximal 1/3-1/2, lateral veins 6-8 per side, arising at an angle of 30-55 from midrib, slightly impressed above and raised beneath, anastomosing near margins, reticulate veinlets raised above but obscure beneath; petioles terete, slightly rugose, 3-6 mm long and 1.5 mm in diam., puberulent. Inflorescence 9-13-flowered; rachis subterete, bluntly angled, muricate, glabrous, 3.5-5 cm long and 2-3.5 mm in diam., pale green but suffused with orange when fresh, drying orangish-brown; floral bracts oblanceolate, 17-30 x 10-15 mm, glabrous, deep reddish-orange when fresh but drying dark wine-red; pedicels terete when fresh but drying flat, glabrous, 6-13 mm long and 1 mm in diam., pale green but suffused with orange when fresh, distally (at articulation with calyx) provided with angular (sometimes partially atrophied) flesh-colored glands which secrete a white, sticky latex; bracteoles located just below middle of pedicel, ovate-lanceolate, ca. 0.5 mm long, glabrous, margin and upper 1/3 glandular-callose. Flowers: calyx glabrous, 4-5 mm long; hypanthium cylindric but weakly 5-10-ribbed, 1.5-1.8 mm long, basally apophysate with apophysis margin shallowly to deeply undulate; limb cylindric to somewhat spreading, 2.7-3.2 mm long; lobes 0.8-1 mm long and 1.5 mm broad at base, slightly connivent after anthesis, margins glandular-callose over their length with glands contiguous at apex or almost the entire lobe glandular-callose; sinuses broadly rounded; corolla basically cylindric becoming swollen distally then abruptly constricting into the short throat and lobes, glabrous, ca. 15.5 mm long and 4.5-5.5 mm in diam. (upper 1/3 constricted to 2.5 mm in diam.), light to bright orange below and white at constricted apex when fresh, lobes ca. 1 mm long, slightly spreading at anthesis; stamens ca. 12.5 mm long; filaments short-pilose medially on ventral surface, alternatley ca. 1.5 mm and 3.5 mm long; anthers alternately ca. 11.5 mm and 10 mm long; thecae granular, 2-3 mm long, basally drawn-out into a short appendix (prognathous) 0.5 mm long; style 16 mm long. Berry not seen.

    Distribution: Endemic to Chocó Dept., Colombia, where it is a terrestrial shrub found along disturbed forest edge and on roadside slopes, at elevations of 425-1463 m.

    Conservation Status: Rare and endangered.

    Type: Colombia. Chocó: Medellín-Quibdó rd., km 138-144, ca. 22-28 km W of El Siete, 750-825 m, 5 Apr 1979 (fl), Luteyn & Lebrón-Luteyn 7236 [holotype, COL, photo NY neg. 10607; isotypes, CAS, HUA, MO, NY(2 sheets, both missing), US].

  • Floras and Monographs

    Cavendishia aurantiaca Luteyn: [Article] Luteyn, James L. 1983. Ericaceae--part I. Cavendishia. Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 1-290.