Psammisia ferruginea A.C.Sm.

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Psammisia ferruginea A.C.Sm.

  • Primary Citation

    Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 28(2): 391, pl. 10. 1932

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Holotype fragment -- W. Lobb 89, verif. J. L. Luteyn, 1995

  • Common Names

    flor de duende, jandia uvilis, chupa quinde, gualicón

  • Description

    Description: Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub, often lianoid with branches to 5 m long, usually all parts (stem, leaves, rachis, bracts, calyces, corollas) densely pilose to tomentose with spreading, multicellular, ferruginous hairs to 1.5 mm long; stem and twigs terete to subterete, striate. Leaves elliptic, oblong, ovate-lanceolate, 5.5-15(-25) x 2.5-5(-11) cm, base rounded, slightly subcordate, apex acuminate to caudate-acuminate, glabrous above; 5-7-plinerved from near the base, midrib and lateral nerves (except outermost pair) impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets (and outermost pair lateral nerves) slightly raised on both surfaces; petiole terete, rugose, 3-7 mm long. Inflorescence racemose, 10-25-flowered, most parts ± tomentose; rachis subterete, bluntly angled, 8-26 cm long; floral bract linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate, striate, 10-13 mm long; pedicel terete, striate, 8-26 mm long; bracteoles located near middle of pedicel or slightly above, rarely near the base, narrowly lanceolate, 6-10 mm long. Flowers with calyx 14-25 mm long; hypanthium cylindric, striate, 4-5 mm long; limb campanulate-spreading, sometimes irregularly split, 10-20 mm long, pilose within; lobes triangular to ovate, acute to acuminate, striate, 6-10 mm long; sinuses acute; corolla tubular, constricted above middle, 21-36 mm long and to ca. 10 mm basal diam., more densely pilose distally, pale yellowish-green proximally, more yellowish distally but turning to orange and then red later, the lobes spreading and reflexed, oblong-triangular, acute, ca. 3-4 mm long, pale yellowish-green; stamen alternately slightly unequal, ca. 13-14 mm long; filaments connate, ca. 5.5-6 mm long, long-pilose distally and glandular-fimbriate dorsally, the connectives all spurred near apex, the spurs very thick and wide spreading; anthers 8.5-10 mm long; thecae 4.5-6 mm long, the base incurved; tubules connate in the proximal third to half, ca. 4.5-5 mm long, dehiscing by clefts ca. 2-2.5 mm long; style slightly to long-exserted, glabrous. Berry spherical, at least 15 mm diam., crowned by persistent calyx limb, green.

    Distribution: W Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador; tropical wet forest, premontane moist, wet and rainforest, to montane wet and rainforest at 400-2400 m altitude.

    Type: Colombia: nr Pilispi, 1525 m, Lobb 89 (holotype, K, NY fragment ex K, photo ACS neg. 105; probable isotype, K).

    Local names: Ecuador: flor de duende (Coiquer), gualicón, jandia uvilis (Quichua).

    Uses: medicinally the flower is hung over suffering patient.

  • Floras and Monographs

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

    Psammisia ferruginea A.C.Sm.: [Article] 1932. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 28(2): 391, pl. 10.