Cavendishia guatapeensis Mansf.

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Cavendishia guatapeensis Mansf.

  • Primary Citation

    Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin-Dahlem 9: 440. 1925

  • Common Names

    uvito

  • Description

    Description: Terrestrial shrub to 2 m tall; mature branches terete, glabrous; bark gray, cracking in longitudinal strips; twigs terete or subterete and bluntly angled, striate, reddish-brown, usually glabrous but lectotype specimen (K) minutely puberulent, glandular-fimbriate. Leaves ovate, oblong- or elliptic-ovate to oblong, rarely lance-elliptic, 2.5-7.5(-9) x 1-2.5(-4) cm, basally rounded often subcordate, apically subacute, obtuse, bluntly short-acuminate, or cuspidate, if acuminate then acumen less than 1.5 cm long, glabrous but glandular-fimbriate on both surfaces (more noticeable beneath); 3-5(-7)-plinerved, nerves arising from near to 3 cm above base, midrib impressed above and raised beneath, lateral veins impressed to plane or slightly raised above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets raised on both surfaces; petioles subterete to slightly flattened above, glabrous or puberulous, 2-3(-6) mm long and 1-1.7(-2) mm in diam. Inflorescence subglobose to subcylindric, 8-20-flowered, congested, the lowest few nodes sterile with their bracts obovate, emarginate, marginally glandular-fimbriate, often caducous, to 10 x 6 mm; rachis subterete, bluntly angled, glabrous, 1-3(-4) cm long and 1.5-3 mm in diam.; floral bracts subcoriaceous to papyraceous, persistent, somewhat involute and clasping flowers at anthesis but spreading at an angle of 45? as fruits mature, smooth or striate with the veins prominent, concave or somewhat keeled when fresh, oblong to obovate-elliptic, (7-)8-13(-15) x (7-)8-10(-12) mm, apically rounded sometimes emarginate, marginally glandular-fimbriate, glabrous, red or greenish suffused with red when fresh; pedicels subterete, striate, glabrous but often glandular-fimbriate, 0.6-2(-3.5) mm long; bracteoles located at or above middle of pedicel, similar to floral bracts, (1.5-)7-8(-11) x 2-4.5(-7) mm. Flowers: calyx glabrous, (3.5-)5-7 mm long; hypanthium campanulate to short-cylindric, (1-)2-3(-3.5) mm long; limb suberect to campanulate, 2.5-3.5(-5) mm long; lobes ovate, apiculate, 1-2(-3) mm long, suberect after anthesis, marginally lacerate-glandular and thinner than lamina; sinuses acute; corolla subcylindric but narrowed at throat, bluntly 5-angled opposite lobes, glabrous but often bearing glandular fimbriae, (8-)9-12(-13) mm long and 3-4 mm diam., red when fresh, the lobes triangular, subacute, 0.6-1 m, red to whitish when fresh (fide label data); stamens unequal, alternately 6.3-8 mm and 6.7-8.4 mm long; filaments ventrally puberulous in distal half, alternately 1.4-2.5 mm and 2.5-4 mm long; anthers alternately 5-7 mm and 4.2-5.8 mm long; thecae 1.2-3 mm long; style slightly shorter than the corolla. Berry 8-13 mm in diam.

    Distribution: Endemic to Colombia, where it is rare in the Cordillera Oriental of Boyacá Dept., relatively common in the Cordillera Central of Antioquia and Tolima Depts., and rare in the Cordillera Occidental of Antioquia and Chocó Depts. The species is found in dense or open humid forest, in the shrub zone below páramo, on stream edges, in thickets, and on exposed roadsides and pastureland, at elevations of 1500-2800(-3050) m.

    Local name: uvito (Antioquia).

    Type: Colombia. Antioquia: Río Guatapé between Medellín and Nare, 2300 m, 25 Feb 1880 (fl), Kalbreyer 1468 (lectotype: K, fragment and photo NY neg. 9436). The holotype specimen was destroyed at B but is represented by a fragment (F) and photos (F neg. 4664 and ACS neg. 121).

  • Floras and Monographs

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