Psammisia ecuadorensis Hoerold

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Psammisia ecuadorensis Hoerold

  • Primary Citation

    Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 42: 308. 1909

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Lectotype -- A. L. Sodiro 92/9, verif. J. L. Luteyn, 1995

  • Description

    Description: Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub with arching, lianoid branches to 3-6 m long; stem terete to subterete, smooth to ribbed, densely puberulent, glabrate; twigs subterete, bluntly angled, densely puberulent. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic- to oblong-lanceolate, (4.5-)11-18 x (1.5-)3-5(-9.5) cm, base obtuse to rounded and very shallowly subcordate, apex long-acuminate to somewhat caudate-acuminate, densely puberulent on both surfaces, (blade with glands at base beneath); 5-7-plinerved from near (to within 1 cm) base, midrib and lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces; petiole terete, rugose, 3-10 mm long, puberulent. Inflorescence racemose (4-)10-16-flowered; rachis subterete, bluntly angled, striate, (4-)5-15(-23) cm long, moderately to densely puberulent; floral bract usually caducous, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 4-6(-8) mm long, puberulent; pedicel terete, striate to ribbed, (8-)13-30 mm long, puberulent; bracteoles located near middle of pedicel, lanceolate, acuminate, 3.5-4.5(-5) mm long, weakly puberulent, marginally glandular-fimbriate. Flowers with calyx 8-17 mm long, weakly to densely puberulent; hypanthium cylindric-campanulate, striate-rugose, 2-4 mm long; limb cylindric-campanulate, irregularly splitting (from bud) deeply into 3-4(rarely 5) lobes these sometimes bifid, 6-13 mm long; lobes oblong-ovate to triangular, acute, apiculate, (3-)4-8 mm long, usually strongly reflexed at anthesis; sinuses acute; corolla tubular, constricted in distal half, (14-)22-40 mm long and 7-11 mm diam., weakly to densely puberulent, distally glandular-fimbriate, basally yellowish-green at anthesis but soon turning orange and then red, the distal constricted portion pale yellowish-green at anthesis then turning to orange and then red, the lobes spreading, oblong-triangular, acute-acuminate, to 5-6 mm long, greenish; stamen 10-14 mm long; filaments distinct, 3.5-5 mm long, weakly to densely marginally distally puberulent, the connectives conspicuously spurred near the apex, the spurs wide-spreading; anthers ca. 8-8.5 mm long, the base strongly incurved; thecae 4.5-6 mm long; tubules distinct to base, very thick and shouldered apically, ca. 3.5-4 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 2 mm long; style as long as or shortly- to long-exserted from corolla, glabrous. Berry spherical, ca. 20 mm diam., crowned by persistent calyx limb, green.

    Distribution: Endemic to Ecuador; tropical moist forest, lower montane wet forest to montane rainforest, at 450-3000 m altitude.

    Type: Ecuador: Aug 1882, Sodiro 92/9 (holotype, B?, photos ACS neg. 143 and F neg. 4688; lectotype, designated by Luteyn (1996), NY fragment ex B).

    Illustration: Luteyn (1996), plate 2.

    Cultivated: ABG, NCSC.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Psammisia ecuadorensis Hoerold: [Article] Smith, Albert C. 1952. Plants collected in Ecuador by W. H. camp. Vaceiniaceae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (1): 41-85.

    Psammisia ecuadorensis Hoerold: [Article] 1909. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 42: 308.