Kalmia ericoides C.Wright ex Griseb.

Description

Description: An evergreen erect to decumbent-spreading, sparsely branched shrub to 1(-1.4) m tall with a thickened burl-like stem just below soil surface, frequently sprouting from base after fire or disturbance; mature stems terete, with longitudinally furrowed, dark brown bark; twigs terete, light gray to reddish, slender to stout, densely covered with unicellular hairs to lacking such hairs, sparsely to densely covered with multicellular, multiseriate, short- to long-stalked, glandular-headed hairs, and lacking to densely covered with multicellular, multiseriate, long-celled hairs; buds minute, to 0.3 mm long, densely covered with glandular-headed and long-celled hairs. Leaves alternate and sparsely to densely distributed along stem (ca. 4-25(-30) leaves per cm), linear to ovate, (3-)3.5-14 x 0.5-3(-4) mm, base cuneate to rounded, apex acute, margin entire, strongly revolute, adaxial surface densely covered with unicellular hairs to lacking such hairs, very sparsely to densely covered with short- to long-stalked glandular-headed hairs, and lacking to sparsely covered with long-celled hairs, abaxial surface sparsely to densely covered with unicellular hairs, occasionally such hairs completely lacking, with scattered short- to long-stalked glandular-headed hairs and sometimes also long-celled hairs; venation obscurely brochidodromous; petiole essentially lacking to 1.5 mm long. Inflorescence a solitary flower, or occasionally a 2-4-flowered fascicle or short raceme, these borne in the axils of leaves or bract-like leaves at ends of branches, thus forming a pseudoterminal cluster; pedicels 4-14 mm long, densely covered with unicellular hairs to lacking such hairs, with scattered glandular-headed hairs and sometimes also long-celled hairs; bracteoles 2, opposite and basal, ovate-triangular to narrowly triangular, 1-3 mm long, with unicellular hairs and glandular-headed hairs. Flowers with calyx lobes narrowly triangular to ovate-triangular with acuminate to acute apices, 3-6 mm long, 0.8-2.3 mm wide, green, adaxial surface densely covered with unicellular hairs to lacking such hairs, with or without scattered glandular-headed and/or long-celled hairs, abaxial surface with a few unicellular hairs near apex to densely covered with such hairs, with scattered glandular-headed hairs, sometimes also long-celled hairs; corolla white to pink, 6-12 x 8-17 mm, adaxial surface sparsely covered with unicellular hairs toward base, abaxial surface with glandular-headed and sometimes also long-celled hairs, occasionally with a few unicellular hairs; filaments 3-5 mm long, sparsely to moderately covered with unicellular hairs near base and glabrous above; anthers 0.7-1.2 mm long; pollen released in tetrads with viscin strands; ovary ± globose, moderately to densely covered with glandular-headed hairs, sometimes also with a few unicellular hairs, with axile placentation and centrally located placentae; style 3.5-7 mm long. Capsule 1.7-3 x 2-4 mm, sparsely to densely covered with glandular-headed hairs, sometimes also with a few unicellular hairs; seeds ovoid, 0.4-0.7 mm long, with testa of slightly elongated and minutely pitted cells, not extending past the ends of the seed.

Distribution: Cuba, in the province of Pinar del Río and the Isle of Pines (=Isle of Youth).

Key to Varieties of Kalmia ericoides: 1. Stems lacking unicellular hairs to very sparsely unicellular-pubescent; pedicels lacking unicellular hairs; abaxial surface of calyx lobes lacking unicellular hairs or with only a few near apex or along margin; adaxial surface of leaves lacking unicellular hairs to sparsely covered with such hairs along mid-vein; Pinar del Río ........... var. ericoides 1. Stems ± densely covered with unicellular hairs; pedicels very sparsely to densely covered with unicellular hairs; abaxial surface of calyx lobes moderately to densely covered with unicellular hairs throughout; adaxial surface of leaves lacking unicellular hairs to densely covered with such hairs; Isle of Pines ............ var. aggregata