Comarostaphylis discolor (Hook.) Diggs subsp. discolor

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Comarostaphylis discolor (Hook.) Diggs subsp. discolor

  • Basionym

    Arbutus discolor Hook.

  • Common Names

    axocopa, caok té, flor mayo, garambullo, jarilla, madroñito, madroño borracho, madroño rojo, pingüica, shulúp, yaga-ya-na, nariz de chucho, madroño

  • Description

    Description: Plants to 10 m tall. Young twigs and petioles glabrous, often glaucous, frequently red or reddish-purple. Leaves plane or slightly revolute, upper surface glabrous, green and shining, lower surface glabrous, usually glaucous, sometimes extremely so. Inflorescences glabrous or if with trichomes, these usually stalked and glandular. Flowers: corollas glabrous or subglabrous.

    Distribution: Jalisco to Guatemala, in forest, the "Bosque Mesofilo de Montana' of Rzedowski (1978) as an understory shrub, or open or disturbed sites, at elevations of 2000-3300(-3900) m. Flowering and fruiting throughout the year, but most commonly Mar-Jun and Jun-Nov, respectively.

    Illustrated: Diggs (1995), fig. 5.

    Type: Mexico. Mexico: Toluca, April 1834 (bud, fl), Andrieux 262 (lectotype: K, photo, Diggs neg. 6; isotypes, FI, n.v., photo, FI neg. 196 at NY, G-DC, photo, Fernald neg. 9287, P, W). In the protologue, Hooker (1836) stated that he saw only the specimen figured (pl. 29). However, the figure and Kew specimen do not seem to be the same branch, and since no material matching the illustration existed, the K specimen (see Diggs (1995), fig. 5) was chosen as the lectotype (Diggs, 1982).

    Literature: Diggs, G. M., Jr. 1982. Comarostaphylis discolor (Hooker) Diggs (Ericaceae), a new combination replacing C. arguta Zucc. Taxon 31: 725-727. Hooker, W. J. 1836. Arbutus discolor. Icon. pl. 1(1): t. 29. London. (Date fide Stafleu & Cowan, 1979).

  • Floras and Monographs

    Comarostaphylis discolor (Hook.) Diggs subsp. discolor: [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.