Macleania smithiana Luteyn

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Macleania smithiana Luteyn

  • Primary Citation

    Fl. Ecuador 54: 131. 1996

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Holotype -- J. L. Luteyn 14606, verif. A. Weiss, 2023

    Remarks: Annotated by J.L. Luteyn as a neotype, but published as a holotype.

    Specimen 2: Isotype -- J. L. Luteyn 14606, verif. A. Weiss, 2023

    Remarks: Annotated by J.L. Luteyn as a neotype, but published as a isotype.

    Specimen 3: Isotype -- J. L. Luteyn 14606, verif. A. Weiss, 2023

    Remarks: Fluid-preserved

  • Common Names

    femu-piu-tapé, pe' piin tape

  • Description

    Description: Terrestrial or more commonly epiphytic shrub to 2-3 m tall, often arising from a lignotuber; stem terete, glabrous, the bark reddish and exfoliating in thin strips; twigs subterete, smooth, sparsely puberulous, glabrate. Leaves coriaceous, subsessile, ovate to elliptic-ovate, (4-)8-12(-16.5) x (3-)4-7(-9.5) cm, base rounded and strongly cordate, usually amplexicaul, apex rounded or obtuse, rarely subacute, margin entire and occasionally slightly revolute, glabrous to moderately puberulent along nerves beneath then glabrate; pinnately nerved with 3-4 lateral nerves per side, the inner lateral nerves arising from 1.5-2(-4) cm above the base, midrib thickened and raised in the proximal 1.5-2(-4) cm then distally impressed above and prominently raised beneath, lateral nerves arcuately ascending slightly impressed proximally and slightly raised distally above, slightly raised beneath, reticulate veinlets conspicuous but slightly raised on both sides; petiole thickened, rugose, 0-3 mm long, glabrous or puberulent. Inflorescence axillary, usually solitary but sometimes up to 4 rachises arising from a node, racemose, 3-8-flowered, the flowers clustered at distal tip of rachis; rachis subterete, smooth to striate, 0.5-1.5(-4) cm long, glabrous or puberulent; floral bract ovate, acuminate, 1-2 mm long, ciliate, frequently persistent; pedicel subterete, striate, rugose, 12-23 mm long, glabrous or puberulent; bracteoles (medial to) apical to subapical, sometimes subopposite, deltate to ovate, acute to acuminate, 0.5-1 mm long, ciliate, usually at base dorsally with 1-2, prominent, circular, blackish, callose-thickened, nectariferous glands. Flowers sometimes obscurely articulate with the pedicel, with the calyx 7-14 mm long, glabrous or puberulent distally; hypanthium obconic, 5-winged to the sinuses, 5-13 mm long, the base oblique, the wings fleshy, ca. 0.5 mm broad and projecting as a spur to ca. 1 mm beyond the limb; limb campanulate-spreading, 2-3 mm long; lobes apiculate, 0.2-0.6 mm long; sinuses flat to broadly rounded; corolla carnose, cylindric to cylindric-urceolate, slightly contracted below the throat, pentagonal, 13-20 mm long and ca. 9 mm basal diam. when fresh, glabrous or puberulent without, densely pilose at throat within with hairs ca. 0.5 mm long, scarlet to orange-red, green distally, the lobes spreading and reflexed, oblong-triangular, acute, 2-3 mm long, bearing a perpendicular, fleshy, oblong spur at the tip; stamen 7-12 mm long; filaments connate into a tube, 1.5-3 mm long, glabrous; anther 9-10 mm long; thecae 5-7.5 mm long; tubules fused into one, 3-4.5 mm long, dehiscing by a cleft ca. 3 mm long; style often slightly exserted from the corolla. Berry spherical, to 18 mm diam., glabrous, translucent white.

    Distribution: Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador; tropical moist and wet forest, to premontane wet and rainforest at 50-1350 m altitude.

    Type: Ecuador. Imbabura: Ibarra-Lita rd, ca. 5 km E of Lita, 800 m, 13 May 1992 (fl, fr), Luteyn & Quelal 14606 (holotype, NY; isotypes, AAU, CAS, GB, K, MEXU, MO, NY, QCA, US, W).

    Local name: Ecuador: femu-piu-tapé

    Uses: medicinally as cure for bites of Equis snake.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Macleania smithiana Luteyn: [Article] 1996. Fl. Ecuador. 54: 131.