Cavendishia neblinae Maguire, Steyerm. & Luteyn

Description

Description: Shrub 1-3 m tall; mature branches reclining, terete, smooth, glabrate, reddish-brown; twigs subterete, complanate, bluntly angled, pilose with white trichomes. Leave ovate, oblong-elliptic or rarely obovate, 6-14.5 x 3.2-6.7 cm, basally rounded or broadly truncate, usually cordate, apically (sometimes abruptly) sharply short-acuminate, weakly pilose along nerves above, pilose-hispid along nerves and onto lamina beneath; 5-7-plinerved, midrib conspicuously thickened and sometimes raised through proximal 1-2 cm otherwise impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, veinlets conspicuous, raised on both surfaces or sometimes impressed above then causing leaves to be bullate; petiole subterete sometimes flattened adaxially, rugose, 5-10 mm long and 2-3 mm diam. Inflorescence 15-20-flowered; rachis subterete, bluntly angled, short-pilose, 3-10 cm long and ca. 3-6 mm diam, provided along length (although sometimes obscure) with deciduous, spherical, light tan glands ca. 0.1-0.2 mm diam.; floral bracts more or less muricate, ovate-oblong, 25-37 x 15-18 mm, apically rounded, glabrous or ciliate and appressed short-pilose at distal tip, pink to deep rose when fresh (fide label data); pedicels subterete, sometimes sharply ribbed, densely hispidulous, 6.5-9 mm long, with few (sometimes obscure) spherical glands scattered along length or sometimes clustered near tip at articulation with calyx; bracteoles located near base of pedicel, oblong to linear-lanceolate, to 3 x 1 mm, glabrous or sparsely hispidulous along midrib dorsally, marginally with spherical to more or less oblong glands in distal half these often fusing at apex. Flowers: calyx hispid-pilose, 7-8 mm long; hypanthium cylindric, more or less rugose, 10-ribbed, 2.5 mm long and 3.5-4 mm diam., basally apophysate; limb erecto-patent, ca. 4-5 mm long; lobes broadly triangular, 2-2.5 mm long and 2.5-3 mm broad, erect after anthesis, marginally bearing stout, thickened more or less oblong fimbriae which fuse distally forming a more or less continuous oblong callose gland ca. 1 mm long on each lobe margin but these not contiguous at tip; sinuses obtuse; corolla cylindric, densely short-pilose, 20-22 mm long and 6-7 mm diam., white when fresh (fide label data), lobes ovate-oblong, obtuse, 2 mm long; stamens 19-20 mm long; filaments pilose ventrally above middle, alternately ca. 4 mm and 7 mm long; anthers alternately 17-18 mm and ca. 14 mm long; thecae alternately 6-7 mm and 4-5 mm long. Berry not seen.

Distribution: Endemic to Cerro de la Neblina (Amazonas, Venezuela), where it occurs in scrub forest and along the upper escarpment slopes, at elevations of 1500-1700 m. It has been collected in flower in December and January.

Conservation Status: Although the Cerro de la Neblina is a very remote and isolated mountain region, any disturbance there could easily threaten the species; therefore, this species should be considered rare and endangered.

Type: Venezuela. Amazonas: Cerro de la Neblina, upper slope forest above Camp 4, 1500-1700 m, 13 Jan 1954 (fl), Maguire et al. 37254 (holotype: NY, photo NY neg. 10556; isotype: US).

Floras and Monographs

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

Cavendishia neblinae Maguire, Steyerm. & Luteyn: [Article] Maguire, Bassett. 1978. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part X. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 29: 1-288.

Map Distribution

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