Ceratostema oellgaardii Luteyn

Description

Description: Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub to 2 m tall; stem terete, striate, glabrous, the bark cracking longitudinally; twigs subterete, complanate and bluntly to sharply angled, striate, glabrous, although newly flushing twigs emerging white pilose; bud scales inconspicuous, ovate, acuminate, ca. 1.8 mm long, pilose. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, or oblanceolate, (2-)3-5 x (-0.5)0.9-1.6(-2.2) cm, base cuneate to long-attenuate, rarely obtuse, apex acute or obtuse, rarely rounded, margin slightly to conspicuously revolute, glabrous, but sometimes glandular-fimbriate beneath; pinnately-nerved with 2-4 lateral nerves, midrib thickened, red, and raised in proximal 2-4 mm, then impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves weakly impressed above and raised beneath but inconspicuous on both surfaces, reticulate veinlets sometimes slightly raised beneath but obscure on both surfaces; petiole subterete, flattened above, slightly winged, rugose, 3-6 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary, solitary, racemose, 1-3-flowered, surrounded at base by few, ovate to oblong, acute to rounded, bracts to 1.5 mm long; rachis subterete, sharply angled, rugose, 3-10 mm long, short-pilose; floral bract ovate-deltate, acute to rounded, 1.5-3 x 1.5-2 mm, margin ciliolate; pedicel subterete, sharply ribbed, 9-14 mm long, glabrous or sometimes white pilose at articulation; bracteoles located along lower one-third of pedicel, similar to floral bract. Flowers with calyx articulate, 10-20 mm long (rarely elongating to 30 mm post anthesis), glabrous; hypanthium cylindric-campanulate, sharply 5-winged, rugose, 3-3.5 mm long; limb erect-spreading, 7-18 mm long; lobes narrowly triangular, rugose, acuminate, 6-15 (rarely elongating to 20 mm post anthesis) x 4-5 mm; sinuses acute; corolla cylindric, broadly and bluntly 5-angled, 21-28 mm long and ca. 9 mm basal diam., glabrous, orange to red, the lobes triangular, spreading, the tips recurved, acuminate, 5-8 mm long, pale red to whitish along margin, the extreme tips sometimes short-pilose; stamens 10, alternately slightly unequal, 16-23 mm long; filaments distinct, 3--4 mm long, glabrous; anthers alternately slightly unequal, 15-23 mm long; thecae alternately slightly unequal, 6-11 mm long; tubules connate in proximal two-thirds, 2-3 times longer than thecae, ca. 15 mm long, dehiscing by oblique, slightly flaring pores ca. 1 mm long; style shortly exserted, glabrous. Mature berry not seen, but at least 13 mm diam.

Distribution: Endemic to Ecuador; montane wet to cloud forest at 2620-3000 m altitude.

Conservation Status: Rare and endangered.

Type: Ecuador. Loja: Cajanuma, ca. 1 km before Parque Nacional Podocarpus entrance and 8 km from main rd S of Loja, 2620-2680 m, 24 Apr 1992 (fl), Luteyn & Romoleroux 14554 (holotype, NY; isotypes, AAU, CAS, E, GB, K, MEXU, MO, MSC, QCA, TEX, US).