Sphyrospermum cordifolium Benth.
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Family
Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)
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Scientific Name
Sphyrospermum cordifolium Benth.
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Primary Citation
Pl. Hartw. 222. 1846
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Homotypic Synonyms
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Common Names
tembo tape
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Description
Description: Terrestrial or epiphytic shrublet, mostly 2-6 dm tall, branches pendent, arching, or scandenty; stem subterete, striate, glabrate; twigs subterete, ribbed or striate, densely to moderately spreading puberulent, glabrate. Leaves coriaceous, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, (1-)2-3.5(-5) x 0.8-)1.5-2.5(-3) cm, base rounded, subcordate, or broadly obtuse, apex obtuse or rounded to acute, sometimes shortly but bluntly acuminate, margin entire and slightly recurved, moderately short-pilose with white hairs on both surfaces, glabrate, usually also appressed glandular-fimbriate beneath with fimbriae ca. 0.1 mm long; 3(-5)-plinerved from the base, midrib and lateral nerves often impressed above (sometimes raised) and raised beneath, often all but midrib obscure beneath, reticulate veinlets usually slightly raised but obscure; petiole terete, rugose, 1-2(-3) mm long, glabrous to pilose. Inflorescence axillary, flowers 1(-2) per axil, sometimes extending beyond the leaves; floral bract ovate, obtuse, ca. 0.3 mm long, pilose; pedicel terete, (10-)15-25 mm long, pilose or glabrous, also often with inconspicuous, appressed, glandular fimbriae; bracteoles nearly basal, minute, oblong-aristate, ca. 0.4 mm long, pilose. Flowers 4-5-merous, with calyx ca. 3 mm long, usually moderately to densely spreading pilose, occasionally sparingly so or glabrous, usually also appressed glandular-fimbriate; hypanthium subglobose or thickly fusiform to shortly cylindric, 1-1.5(-2) mm long; limb cylindric-campanulate, erect, 1-1.6 mm long; lobes deltate, acute, 0.5-0.8 mm long, often with a tuft of hairs at the tip; sinuses rounded; corolla membranous to subcarnose, cylindric-urceolate, (4-)5-7(-9) mm long and 1.2-3 mm diam., white to bright red, glabrous or puberulous distally, sparsely and inconspicuously glandular-fimbriate, the lobes spreading, narrowly riangular, acute, ca. 0.6 mm long; stamen usually either 4-5 or 8-10, slightly shorter than the corolla, 6.5-8 mm long; filaments slender, 2-5 mm long, pilose or glabrous; anthers 2-4 mm long; thecae ca. 1-1.6 mm long; tubules distinct, ca. 1.5-2.3 mm long, dehiscing by clefts to 1.3 mm long. Berry globose to thickly fusiform, fleshy, to 15 mm diam., pilose or glabrous, white or white with a violet tinge at maturity.
Distribution: Southern Mexico to N Bolivia, east to French Guiana, and Hispaniola; premontane wet and rainforest, montane wet and rainforest, and elfin forest, at 150-3350 m altitude.
Type: Colombia. Cundinamarca: Tena near Bogotá, Hartweg 1215 (holotype: K-Herb. Benth., photo NY neg. 13013; isotypes: BREM n.v., K-Herb. Hook.).
Vernacular name: tembo tape (Cayape, Ecuador).
Uses: Medicinally leaves macerated with water and applied to area for heart pains.
Cultivated: ACAD, E, NY.
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Floras and Monographs
Sphyrospermum cordifolium Benth.: [Article] 1846. Pl. Hartw. 222.
Sphyrospermum cordifolium Benth.: [Article] Smith, Albert C. 1952. Plants collected in Ecuador by W. H. camp. Vaceiniaceae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 8 (1): 41-85.
Sphyrospermum cordifolium Benth.: [Article] Maguire, Bassett. 1978. The botany of the Guayana Highland--part X. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 29: 1-288.
