Macleania ericae Sleumer

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Macleania ericae Sleumer

  • Primary Citation

    Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 45: 16. 1938

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Neotype -- J. L. Luteyn 14789, verif. J. L. Luteyn, 1994

    Specimen 2: Isoneotype -- J. L. Luteyn 14789, verif. J. L. Luteyn, 1994

    Specimen 3: Isoneotype -- J. L. Luteyn 14789, verif. T. A. Zanoni, 2023

  • Description

    Description: Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub to 2 m, sometimes subscandent, usually arising from a lignotuber; stem terete, glabrous; twigs terete to subterete, striate, glabrous. Leaves coriaceous, ovate, 5.5-10(-13.5) x 3-5(-8.5) cm, base rounded and deeply cordate, amplexicaul, apex obtuse or acute, to short- or long-acuminate, the apex itself usually subobtuse, margin entire, glabrous; pinnately nerved with 3-4 lateral nerves per side, midrib thickened and raised in the proximal 1 cm then slightly impressed above, raised beneath, lateral nerves weakly raised or slightly impressed proximally then plane distally above, raised beneath beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly raised above and almost obscure beneath; petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence axillary, flowers solitary or in 1-5-flowered fascicles; floral bract ovate-deltate, acute to acuminate, ca. 1-2 mm long, marginally glandular-fimbriate; pedicel subterete, striate, 10-19 mm long, glabrous; bracteoles basal, similar to floral bract. Flowers with calyx 7-10 mm long, glabrous; hypanthium turbinate, strongly 5-winged, 5.5-7 mm long, the base truncate to oblique with the wings extending slightly as lobes below articulation, the apex of the wings usually not extending beyond the limb or lobes; limb campanulate-spreading, 1.5-2.5 mm long; lobes apiculate, < 0.5 mm long; sinuses rounded or broadly flattened; corolla carnose, cylindric to cylindric-urceolate, pentagonal, broadest at the base, 16-22 mm long and ca. 10 mm basal diam. when fresh, glabrous without but the throat within whitened with short, tomentellous hairs, the lobes spreading and reflexed, oblong-ovate, acute, ca. 2 mm long; stamen 12-13 mm long; filaments connate into a tube, 2-3.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers 10-11 mm long; thecae 5-6.5 mm long; tubules fused into one, 4-4.5 mm long, dehiscing by a cleft 2-2.7 m long; style equalling corolla or exserted. Immature berry 13-15 mm diam., white.

    Distribution: Endemic to Ecuador; premontane to montane cloud forest at (250-) 1200-2430 m altitude.

    Cultivated: ABG, E, NCSC, NY.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Macleania ericae Sleumer: