Psammisia flaviflora A.C.Sm.

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Psammisia flaviflora A.C.Sm.

  • Primary Citation

    J. Arnold Arbor. 24: 463. 1943

  • Description

    Description: Epiphytic, scandent shrub, glabrous throughout except filaments; stem subterete, minutely striate, nitid; twigs subterete, sometimes complanate, minutely striate, often with scattered oblong-ovate, acute, fimbriate-margined bracts to 5 mm long. Leaves chartaceous, oblong-elliptic, 13-25 x 4.5-13 cm, base acute or rounded, decurrent onto the petiole, apex abruptly and shortly caudate-acuminate, the acumen itself 1-1.5 cm long, margin slightly recurved; 5-7-plinerved, with the nerves joined for 1-5 cm, midrib and lateral nerves slightly raised above or impressed above in a conspicuous channel, prominent beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly raised and prominent all over; petiole subterete, thick, rugose, 6-15 mm long and 2-3 mm diam. Inflorescence axillary, subfasciculate or short-racemose, (2-) 7-10-flowered; rachis subterete, angled, congested, striate, 4-22 mm long; floral bract chartaceous, deltate, subacute, 1.5-3.5 x 1.5 mm, bearing a few glandular fimbriae marginally; pedicel rugose, thick, 15-24 mm long and 1-2 mm diam., bright red; bracteoles basal, similar to floral bracts, but ca. 1-2 mm long. Flowers with calyx 8-11 mm long, red with greenish lobes; hypanthium cylindric-cupuliform, terete, 4-8 mm long and 7 mm diam., bright red; limb erecto-patent, 3-5.5 mm long; lobes thick-carnose, deltate, acute, 2-3 x 3-4 mm, reaching nearly to top of corolla tube; sinuses acute; corolla carnose, subglobose-urceolate, very narrowly constricted at throat, 7-8 mm long and ca. 6 mm diam., bright butter-yellow, the lobes reflexed, deltate, subacute, ca. 1.5 x 1.5 mm; stamen ca. 3.3-4 mm long; filaments distinct, ca. 3.3-3.5 mm long, ciliate above, curved over and attached to the thecae at top, the connectives short, spurred or only slightly broadened; anthers ca. 3.4-4 mm long, broad and laterally compressed; thecae strongly granular, ca. 3 mm long; tubules distinct, thin, ca. 1 mm long, dehiscing by clefts; style thick, subequalling the corolla. Berry not seen.

    Distribution: Endemic to Ecuador (Pichincha Prov.); premontane forest, at 800-2200 m altitude.

    Type: Ecuador. Guayas: Valley of Río Chimbo, 800 m, Rimbach 67 (holotype, A, photo NY neg. 11120).

    Illustration: Luteyn (1996), fig. 10A-E.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Psammisia flaviflora A.C.Sm.: [Article] 1943. J. Arnold Arbor. 24: 463.