Gonocalyx costaricensis Luteyn

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Gonocalyx costaricensis Luteyn

  • Primary Citation

    Brittonia 28(1): 40. 1976

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Holotype -- C. W. Palmer 146, verif. J. L. Luteyn

  • Description

    Description: Epiphytic shrub; mature branches terete, striate, glabrous, reddish when dry; immature branches and twigs of new growth terete to subterete, often flattened with blunt angles, smooth to minutely striate, glabrous, reddish-brown when dry; bark thin, cracking in a reticulate pattern, reddish. Leaves coriaceous, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 2.5-6 x 1-1.5 cm, basally rounded or obtuse, apically long-acuminate, tip ultimately blunt, pale grayish-green when dry, glabrous; obscurely 3(-5)-plinerved, midrib and lateral nerves plane to slightly raised on both surfaces, veinlets raised slightly on both sides but conspicuous only beneath; petioles subterete, flattened adaxially, rugose, ca. 2 mm long and 1 mm in diam., glabrous or puberulent. Inflorescences solitary, axillary, racemose, 8-10-flowered; rachis subterete, smooth, glabrous, 1-1.5 cm long; floral bracts persistent, linear-lanceolate or aristate, ca. 1 x 0.5 mm, glandular-fimbriate basally, ciliate distally; pedicels cylindric, gradually thickening distally, striate, glabrous, 4-10 mm long and 0.5-1 mm in diam., sometimes with cartilaginous teeth distally; bracteoles aristate, ca. 1 mm long, ciliate distally. Flowers with calyx glabrous, 5-9 mm long; hypanthium cylindric or spreading distally, slightly expanded as a rim basally but not conspicuously apophysate, striate, 1.5-3.5 mm long; limb spreading, striate, 4.5-5 mm long including the lobes; lobes broadly triangular, acute, striate, 1-2 mm long; sinuses obtuse; corolla cylindric, membranaceous when dry, glabrous; stamens equal, 11-13 mm long; filaments distinct at anthesis, marginally pilose, 2-3 mm long; anthers including tubules 9.5-11 mm long dehiscing by oval, subterminal pores, 0.5-1.5 mm long; thecae conspicuously granular, 2-3 mm long; style thin, glabrous, 14-19 mm long, strongly exserted at anthesis; stigma truncate. Berry not seen.

    Distribution: Endemic to Costa Rica, to the Monteverde area; in premontane cloud forest, at ca. 1300-1400 m; flowering during the months of March-April and December. Rare.

    Type: Costa Rica. Puntarenas: Monteverde, ca. 1385 m, Palmer 146 (holotype, NY, photo of holotype DUKE).

  • Sorry, no descriptions available for this record.