Psammisia sclerantha A.C.Sm.

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Psammisia sclerantha A.C.Sm.

  • Primary Citation

    Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 72. 1952

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Isotype -- W. H. Camp E1195, verif. A. C. Smith, 1950

  • Description

    Description: Epiphytic shrub with lianoid habit, glabrous throughout except for staminal filaments; stem and twigs subterete, complanate, bluntly angled, striate. Leaves sometimes falcate or asymmetric, elliptic-lanceolate to oblanceolate, (11-)15-26 x 4-10.5 cm, base long-cuneate and shortly attentuate onto petiole, apex shortly and abruptly acuminate, sometimes shortly caudate-acuminate, margin entire; pinnately nerved with 4-6 lateral nerves per side, midrib slightly impressed above and very much raised and conspicuous beneath, lateral nerves and reticulate veinlets plane to slightly raised above and raised beneath; petiole terete, conspicuously striate, rugose, 13-23 mm long. Inflorescence axillary, subracemose, 2-7-flowered; rachis subterete, to 12 mm long; floral bract ovate, acuminate, ca. 1 mm long; pedicel subterete, striate, 15-17 mm long, red to coral-red; bracteoles basal, similar to floral bract. Flowers with calyx ca. 6 mm long, red to coral-red; hypanthium cylindric to campanulate, 3-4 mm long, the base rounded or truncate and apophysate, constricted at junction with limb; limb erect-spreading, ca. 2-3 mm long; lobes very broadly ovate, apiculate, less than 1 mm long; sinuses acute to flattened; corolla cylindric-urceolate, 7-9 mm long and 6-8 mm diam., conspicuously thick-fleshy distally, dark brownish- to purplish-violet, the lobes spreading, triangular, acute, 1-2 mm long, green; stamen 10, ca. 4.2-6.5 mm long; filaments distinct, 1.5-3 mm long, weakly puberulent distally ventrally, the connectives coriaceous, all spurred near top; anthers 3.8-6 mm long; thecae 2.8-4.5 mm long, the base incurved; tubules 1.2-1.5 mm long. Mature berry not seen, but immature to 11 mm diam.

    Distribution: Endemic to Ecuador; premontane moist, wet and rainforest to montane rainforest, at 800-2000 m altitude. Rare.

    Type: Ecuador. Morona-Santiago: Cordillera de Cutucú, between Río Ontza and Río Chupiasa, 1310-1435 m, 17 Nov 1944 (fl), Camp E-1195 (holotype, US; isotypes, F, K, NY; photo of NY type NY neg. 10027).

  • Floras and Monographs

    Psammisia sclerantha A.C.Sm.: [Article] 1952. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8: 72.

    Psammisia sclerantha 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.