Comarostaphylis sharpii Dorr & Diggs

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Comarostaphylis sharpii Dorr & Diggs

  • Primary Citation

    Brittonia 37: 378. 1985

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Isotype -- K. C. Nixon 3944

  • Description

    Type: Mexico. Tamaulipas: Mun. G¡Âmez Far¥õas, Sierra de Guatemala, on road from Rancho del Cielo to La Joya, downslope from the crest on the western side of the range [ca. 23?10'N, 99?15'W], ca. 1677 m, 9 Aug 1983 (bud, fl, im fr), K. C. Nixon et al. 3944 (holotype, MO; isotypes, ENCB, F, GH, K, MEXU, NY, TEX, US, WIS, XAL).

    Description: Erect, multi-stemmed shrubs, to 2 m tall; bark exfoliating in irregular plates; young twigs densely hirsute with stalked, swollen-headed glandular hairs interspersed with shorter, uniseriate, eglandular, hyaline hairs. Leaves congested at stem tips, coriaceous, narrowly ovate, narrowly elliptic, elliptic, or narrowly obovate, plane to slightly revolute, 4.3-11.5 x 1.4-4.2 cm, basally tapering and cuneate or narrowly cuneate, apically acute to obtuse, often mucronate, marginally entire, often with a few scattered teeth near the apex, upper surface bright to dark green, sparingly pubescent with scattered uni- and biseriate hyaline hairs and uniseriate-stalked, swollen-headed, glandular hairs, the hairs persisting on older leaves along midribs, margins, and towards the base, lower surface pale white to gray, densely lanate with uniseriate hairs and scattered uni- and biseriate-stalked, swollen-headed, glandular hairs, the glands red; petioles short, 0.5-1.1 mm long, densely glandular hirsute as with young stems. Inflorescences paniculate, loosely and much-branched, 10-20 cm long; rachis, pedicels, bracts, bracteoles, and calyx densely glandular hirsute with stalked, swollen-headed, glandular hairs, the glands red, imparting a reddish color to the entire inflorescence; floral bracts narrowly ovate, 8-23 x 1.5-4 mm, ciliate; pedicels 8-16 mm long; bracteoles 4.5-8 mm long, ciliate. Flowers: calyx lobes triangular, 1.7-2.1 x 1-2.2 mm, acuminate, ciliate; corollas urceolate, 5.2-7.1 x 3.5-6 mm, outer surface sparingly pubescent with scattered, short, uniseriate, hyaline hairs, inner surface more densely pubescent distally with similar hairs, red, the lobes reflexed, 0.7-1.6 x 1-1.5 mm; stamens 2-4 mm long; filaments dilated at the base, 1.8-3.5 mm long, glabrous or nearly so; anthers 1-2.2 x 0.5-1.1 mm, the spurs 0.4-1 mm long; ovary glabrous or pubescent with hyaline trichomes; style 3.5-4.1 mm long, glabrous. Fruit drupaceous, 3.5-4.5 mm in diam. (immature); seeds not seen.

    Distribution: Endemic to Mexico, and restricted to a narrow zone of humid pine-oak forest near G¡Âmez Far¥õas (Tamaulipas). Flowering specimens have been collected in May, Jun, and Aug; immature fruit in Jun and Aug.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Comarostaphylis sharpii Dorr & Diggs: [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.