Ledothamnus jauaensis Maguire, Steyerm. & Luteyn

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Ledothamnus jauaensis Maguire, Steyerm. & Luteyn

  • Primary Citation

    Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 29: 146, fig. 74G-R. 1978

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Holotype -- J. A. Steyermark 97918, verif. J. L. Luteyn, 1988

  • Description

    Description: Subshrub, 0.5 m tall; mature stems terete, smooth, lustrous, glabrous; twigs subterete to bluntly angled, striate, puberulent, glabrate. Leaves in whorls of 3, strongly imbricate, ascending to spreading at tips, oblong-elliptic, ± trigonous in cross-section, 3.2-5.2 x 1-1.4 mm, base broadly cuneate and decurrent, apex acute, short-mucronate, keeled, apparent margins short-ciliate with white hairs to 0.2 mm long, otherwise lamina glabrous except for puberulous base; petiole 1.5-2 mm long, puberulous. Inflorescence axillary, flowers solitary; pedicels subterete, ribbed, to 4 mm long, densely short-white-puberulent; floral bracts not seen; bracteoles located about in middle of pedicel, ca. 4 mm long, apex long-mucronate. Flowers 5-6-merous; calyx campanulate, ca. 6 mm long, puberulent, lobes spreading, ovate, ca. 5.5 mm long, acuminate, mucronate, margin with very tiny, deciduous, acicular (branched), eglandular hairs ca. 0.1 mm long; petals apparently spreading, oblong-elliptic, ca. 6 x 1.5 mm, rounded, white when fresh, glabrous; stamens ca. 5 mm long; filaments ca. 3.6 mm long; anthers ca. 1.3 mm long; ovary glabrous; style ca. 1.3 mm long, glabrous. Capsule oblong, ca. 4 mm long.

    Distribution: Endemic to Venezuelan Guayana, where it is known only from the type collection from along a rocky stream edge. Rare.

    Type: Venezuela. Bolívar: Summit of central-western portion of the Meseta de Jáua, Cerro Sarisariñama, 1922-2100 m, 22-27 Mar 1967 (fl, fr), Steyermark 97918 (holotype, NY; isotypes, F, photo F neg. 59490, VEN).

  • Floras and Monographs

    Ledothamnus jauaensis Maguire, Steyerm. & Luteyn: [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.

    Ledothamnus jauaensis Maguire, Steyerm. & Luteyn: [Article] Maguire, Bassett. 1978. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part X. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 29: 1-288.