Cavendishia urophylla A.C.Sm.

Description

Description: Epiphytic shrub, totally glabrous; mature branches terete, with gray bark cracking longitudinally; twigs subterete and broadly flattened, smooth to slightly striate, nitid, reddish-brown, provided with minute spherical glnads ca. 0.1 mm diam. along length which are sunken into small pustules. Leaves elliptic, 4-7.7 x 1.5-2.6 cm, basally obtuse, sometimes rounded or cuneate, apically conspicuously caudate-acuminate with acumen 1.5-2.5 cm long, glandular fimbriae sunken into lower lamina and minute subspherical glands sunken into upper lamina; 3(-5)-plinerved from base, midrib impressed above and raised beneath, inner pair of lateral nerves impressed through proximal 3/4 otherwise plane above, raised but inconspicuous beneath, outer pair of lateral nerves (when present) plane and obscure on both surfaces; petiole subterete, slightly canaliculate adaxially, rugose, 4-6 mm long and 0.7-1 mm diam. Inflorescence 2-4-flowered, encircled at base by subcoriaceous, oblong, apically rounded bracts ca. 26(-40?) x 18 mm; rachis stout, 5-6 mm long and 2.5-4 mm in basal diam., proximal 3 mm a peduncle made up of overlapping bract scars; floral bracts oblong or obovate, 32-40 x 15-26 mm, apically rounded or shallowly emarginate; pedicels subterete, broadly bluntly angled, glabrous, 5-8 mm long and 1.5-3 mm diam., eglandular; bracteoles linear-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 6-11.5(-15) x 1.5-3(-5) mm, margins densely glandular with spherical glands which are often stipitate (stipes 0.1-0.2 m). Flowers: calyx 8-11 mm long; hypanthium subcylindric, 10-ribbed, 2.5-4 mm long and to 6.5 mm diam., basally apophysate with apophysis margin broadly and shallowly undulate; limb erect to spreading, muricate, 5.5-7 mm long; lobes triangular, 2-3 x ca. 2.5 mm, erect after anthesis, each margin provided distally with an oblong, callose gland 1.5-2 mm long and proximally with a smaller gland 0.5 mm long, these glands not contiguous at lobe tip; sinuses obtuse; corolla cylindric, ca. 25-32 mm long (immature), white with grayish or brownish lobe margins (fide Cuatrecasas 16164); stamens (immature) ca. 22.5-30 mm long; filaments alternately 1-3 mm and 9.5-10 mm long; anthers alternately 22-28 mm and 14.5-20 mm long; thecae alternataly 9-17 mm and 8-11 mm long; style ca. 28-29 mm long. Berry not seen.

Distribution: Endemic to Colombia and known only in western Valle Dept., in dense forest and secondary growth, at elevations of 0-100 m. Flowering specimens have been collected in February, June, and August.

Conservation Status: Rare and endangered.

Type: Colombia. Valle: Agua Clara, along hwy. from Buenaventura to Cali, 100 m, 6 Jun 1944 (fl), Killip & Cuatrecasas 38893 (holotype: A, photo NY neg. 9085; isotype: US, photo NY neg. 9150).