Orthaea abbreviata Drake

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Orthaea abbreviata Drake

  • Primary Citation

    J. Bot. 3: 75. 1889

  • Description

    Description: Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub 1-4 m tall; stem terete to complanate and bluntly angled, striate, puberulent or glabrous; twigs subterete to complanate, often strongly flattened and bluntly angled, striate to sulcate, puberulent or glabrous, rarely with few, scattered glandular fimbriae near tips. Leaves coriaceous, ovate, elliptic- to oblong-lanceolate, (4.5-)6-12 x (1.5-)2.5-4.5 cm, base rounded to cuneate, apex short-acuminate, glabrous but with scattered glandular fimbriae beneath; 3-5-plinerved, inner pair lateral nerves sometimes arising 1 cm above base, midrib thickened and plane in the proximal 1 cm, then slightly impresed distally above, raised beneath, lateral nerves plane to slightly impressed but often slightly raised distally above, raised beneath, reticulate veinlets plane to raised above, slightly raised but obscure beneath; petiole subterete, sligthly flattened above, rugose, 2-5 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary, short-racemose, 6-11-flowered, surrounded at the base by a series of deciduous, membranous, oblong to oblanceolate, obtuse, glabrous, marginally glandular-fimbriate bracts to 20 x 7 mm; rachis subterete to sharply angled, often very congested, 0.5-1(-1.5) cm long, glabrous or puberulous, sometimes with scattered glandular fimbriae; floral bract caducous, apparently similar to inflorescence bracts; pedicel subterete, ribbed, 7-19 mm long, glabrous; bracteoles basal, caducous, linear-lanceolate to aristate, acuminate, 1-2 mm long, glabrous, marginally glandular-fimbriate. Flowers with calyx sometimes stipitate, 3.5-5 mm long, glabrous; hypanthium cylindric, 2-3 mm long, the base apophysate to subapophysate; limb campanulate-spreading 1.5-2 mm long; lobes deltate to short-triangular, less than 1 mm long, marginally deciduously glandular-fimbriate; sinuses broadly rounded; corolla tubular, glabrous, 30-40 mm long and 8-10 mm diam., deep pink to red in proximal 3/4, grading to white distally, the lobes triangular, acute, ca. 1-1.5 mm long; stamen 10, alternately 6.5-8 mm and 8-10 mm long; filaments distinct or connate in lower half, alternately 3.5-5.5 mm and 5-7.5 mm long, marginally short-pilose distally; anthers 3-3.5 mm long; thecae ca. 1.5 mm long; tubules 1.5-2 mm long, dehiscing by terminal pores; style exserted, to ca. 43 mm long, glabrous. Berry not seen.

    Distribution: Ecuador and Peru; found in premontane to montane cloud forest, at 900-2300 m altitude.

    Type: Ecuador, Río de San Francisco, Poortmann 314 (holotype, P).

  • Floras and Monographs

    Orthaea abbreviata Drake: [Article] 1889. J. Bot. 3: 75.