Vaccinium elvirae Luteyn

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Vaccinium elvirae Luteyn

  • Primary Citation

    Opera Bot. 92: 129. 1987

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Holotype -- J. L. Luteyn 11381, verif. J. L. Luteyn

  • Description

    Description: Terrestrial shrub to 1.5 m tall; mature stems terete, striate, sparsely pilose to glabrate, light brown to stramineous when dry; bark cracking longitudinally. Leaves thick-coriaceous, hard, succulent, lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 2-4.5 x 0.8-2 cm, basally broadly cuneate to narrowly obtuse, apically acuminate, mucronate, marginally entire and often slightly revolute, appressed-pilose above when young becoming glabrate, glandular-fimbriate beneath and sparsely pilose, the hairs often forming tufts around the individual glandular fimbriae, appearing substellate; venation obscure but seemingly pinnately-nerved with 2-3 secondary nerves arising up to midlength, the midrib, secondary nerves, and veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces but especially inconspicuous beneath; petioles subterete, somewhat flattened abaxially, rugose, 3-6 mm long, pilose becoming glabrate. Inflorescence axillary, clustered, composed of ca. 5-8 subsessile flowers, each subtended by a floral bract and two bracteoles; rachis none; floral bracts membranaceous, oblong, obovate, apically rounded, 4.5 mm long, marginally ciliate and sparsely glandular-fimbriate; pedicel less than 1 mm long; bracteoles basal, ovate, obtuse, keeled, 3-4 mm long, marginally ciliate and sparsely glandular-fimbriate. Flowers 4(-5)-merous; calyx pale green, articulate with the pedicel, pilose at the base and glabrous or sparsely pilose along lines of angle, 5-6 mm long; hypanthium cylindric-obconic, 3-3.5 mm long, terete when fresh but often drying slightly 4-5 angled; limb campanulate, 2-2.5 mm long including the lobes; lobes triangular-ovate, acute, ca. 1.5 mm long; sinuses acute; corolla coriaceous, cylindric-campanulate, spreading distally, white, glabrous, 6.5 mm long, the lobes reflexed, broadly triangular, obtuse, 1.5-2 mm long; stamens 4(-8), equal, 5.2 mm long; filaments distinct, long-pilose ventrally and marginally, ca. 2.8 mm long; anthers ca. 3.2 mm long including the tubules; thecae 2.2 mm long, dehiscing by lateral clefts ca. 0.7 mm long; ovary 4-locular; style glabrous, 5.5 mm long; disc pulvinate. Fruit not seen.

    Distribution: Endemic to N Peru (Amazonas) and known only from three collections.

    Type: Peru. Amazonas: 18 km SW of Leimebamba along road to Balsas, ca. 6°45'S, 77°48'W, 3000 m, white sand slopes, 13 Feb 1985 (fl), Luteyn & Cotton 11381 (holotype, NY; isotypes, AAU, CAS, F, G, HUT, MEXU, MO, US, USM).

    Conservation Status: Rare and probably endangered.

  • Floras and Monographs

    Vaccinium elvirae Luteyn: [Article] 1987. Opera Bot. 92: 129.