Thibaudia floribunda Kunth

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Thibaudia floribunda Kunth

  • Primary Citation

    Nov. Gen. Sp. (Kunth) 3: 269, pl. 254. 1818

  • Common Names

    sagalita, gualicón

  • Description

    Description: Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub, sometimes lianoid, with branches to 5 m long, sometimes said to be small tree; stem terete, striate, glabrous; twigs subterete, complanate, striate, glabrous to puberulent, glabrate. Leaves coriaceous, ovate, elliptic-ovate, lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, (5-)8-22(-30) x (1-)2.5-6(-7.5) cm, base rounded to cuneate, apex acuminate, glabrous; (3-)5-7-plinerved with inner pair of lateral nerves arising 1-2 cm above base, midrib thickened and raised in the proximal 1-2 cm, then thin and impressed distally above and raised beneath, lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, reticulate veinlets plane to impressed above and slightly raised beneath; petiole subterete, somewhat winged, rugose, stout, (3-)5-10 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary, racemose, (7-)15-30(-40)-flowered, often appearing ramiflorous, sometimes loosely pin-cushion type with 3-5 inflorescences from the same axil borne on older branches after leaves have fallen; rachis subterete, angled, striate, (1-)2-9(-14) cm long, glabrous to puberulent, sometimes conspicuously glandular-fimbriate; floral bract ovate, obtuse to acuminate, concave, (1-)3-4(-6) mm long, ciliolate; pedicel subterete, ribbed, 5-19 mm long, glabrous to puberulent, sometimes moderately glandular-fimbriate; bracteoles nearly basal, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 1-1.5 mm long, ciliolate. Flowers with calyx continuous with pedicel, the calyx 4 mm long; hypanthium campanulate, terete to narrowly 5-angled, 2-3 mm long, glabrous but sometimes moderately glandular-fimbriate; limb campanulate, ca. 1-1.5 mm long; lobes triangular, to ovate-triangular, acute to acuminate, ca. 1 mm long; sinuses acute to rounded; corolla tubular, terete to strongly 5-angled, rarely extremely narrowly 5-winged, 9-20 mm long and 3-4 mm diam., red to pink to white, glabrous but often moderately glandular-fimbriate, the lobes ovate-triangular, obtuse, ca. 1-1.5 mm long; stamen 10, equal, 8.5-15 mm long; filaments distinct, 2-4 mm long, glabrous to marginally pilose; anthers 7.5-12 mm long; thecae 2.5-4 mm long, the base long-mucronate; tubules 5-8 mm long, dehiscing by clefts; style about as long as corolla, glabrous. Berry spherical, blue-black, 8-10 mm diam.

    Distribution: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru; lower montane moist forest, montane moist and rainforest, elfin forest, subpáramo to páramo, at 1600-3600 m altitude.

    Type: Colombia. Cundinamarca: Near Santa Fe de Bogotá, 3000 m, Humboldt & Bonpland s.n. (or by Mutis ?) (holotype, B?). The holotype, deposited in the Humboldt Herbarium at B according to A. C. Smith (1932: 413), was destroyed, but is represented in photo by F neg. 4627 and ACS neg. 132. There is a sheet at US designated "type collection" by A. C.Smith in 1932; this sheet is a Mutis collection, which has been given the number 2036, and could be a possible lectotype.

    Illustration: Luteyn (1996), plate 6

    Local names: Ecuador: gualicón, sagalita.

    Uses: Fruits edible. Visited by male hummingbird Eriocnemis nigrivestis (Bleiweiss 1139).

    Cultivated: HBA.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Thibaudia floribunda Kunth: [Article] 1818. Nov. Gen. Sp. (Kunth). 3: 269, pl. 254.