Vaccinium orosiense Wilbur & Luteyn

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Vaccinium orosiense Wilbur & Luteyn

  • Primary Citation

    Brittonia 29(3): 275. 1977

  • Type Specimens

    Specimen 1: Isotype -- J. L. Luteyn 4411, verif. R. L. Wilbur, 1989

  • Description

    Description: Epiphytic or terrestrial shrub 1-2 m tall with olivaceous to purplish, glabrous branchlets. Leaves coriaceous, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, (2-)4-9(-14) x (1.5-)3-5(-7) cm, basally rounded to more typically cordate and amplexicaule, apically acute, entire, marginally slightly thickened, glabrous to sparsely and inconspicuously appressed, glandular-strigilose; petioles ± 1 mm long, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary (but often superficially appearing terminal), racemes umbelliform; rachis glabrous, 1-1.5 cm long; Floral bracts persistent, scale-like, triangular to ovate-lanceolate, 1-2.2 mm long, glabrous to minutely ciliate; pedicels glabrous, 1.5-2.5 cm long; bracteoles subopposite, appressed, persistent, deltoid to lance-ovate, 0.8-1.5 mm long, glabrous to inconspicuously ciliate, located in the lower quarter of pedicel. Flowers with calyx clearly articulated with the pedicel; hypanthium campanulate to urceolate, 2-3 x 2.5-4 mm, glabrous; limb 0.5-0.8 mm long; lobes 5, triangular, acute, 0.8-1.2 mm long; corolla cylindric to urceolate, 5-8 x 5-7 mm, yellowish-green often suffused with maroon, externally glabrous and internally moderately to densely pilose especially on the lobes and the upper half of the tube with white trichomes, the lobes 5, spreading or reflexed, triangular, acute, 1-1.2 mm long; stamens 10; filaments flattened, ca. 3 mm long, weakly adherent to the very base of the corolla tube and attached medially to the theca, villous; thecae granular, 1.5-1.8 mm long, golden, basally inwardly curved and with an apiculate tip; tubules stout, ca. 2 x 0.5 mm long, each with a slightly introrsely oblique terminal pore. Fruit not seen.

    Distribution: Endemic to Costa Rica; premontane cloud forest, at 1300-1800 m elavation. Rare.

    Type: Costa Rica. Cartago: Steep roadside slopes on property of ICE hydroelectric plant, 15-20 km beyond suspension bridge over Río Grande de Orosí, 1300-1800 m, Luteyn et al. 4411 (holotype, DUKE; isotypes, CR, F, MO, NY, US).

  • Sorry, no descriptions available for this record.