6. Cavendishia LINDLEY, nom. conserv. Bot. Reg. 21: pl. 1791 (1835).

-- Type: Cavendishia nobilis LINDLEY.

?Chupalon ADANSON, Fam. Pl. 2: 164 (1763). -- Type: none cited.

Socratesia KLOTZSCH, Linnaea 24: 22 (1851). -- Type: Socratesia melastomoides KLOTZSCH.

Polyboea KLOTZSCH, Linnaea 24: 30 (1851) non KLOTZSCH ex ENDLICHER (1850

=Euphorbiaceae). -- Lectotype: Polyboea laurifolia KLOTZSCH.

Proclesia KLOTZSCH, Linnaea 24: 32 (1851). -- Lectotype: Proclesia cordata KLOTZSCH.

Reference: LUTEYN, J. L. Ericaceae--Part I. Cavendishia . Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 1--290 (1983).

Erect shrubs, evergreen, epiphytic or terrestrial. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, marginally entire and revolute, both surfaces usually with multicellular, reddish or blackish, slightly sunken, glandular trichomes to 0.2 mm long, if glabrescent appearing punctate; pinnate or plinerved. Inflorescence axillary, usually solitary, racemose or subfasciculate, surrounded at the base by a series of bracts, the smallest minute and triangular, the largest conforming to the shape and size of the individual floral bracts; inflorescence bracts few to numerous, imbricate, coriaceous, smooth or minutely striate or muricate, marginally scarious and usually minutely glandular fimbriate; floral bract caducous or usually persistent, usually large and showy; bracteoles basal or rarely midway up the pedicel, usually glandular. Flowers 5-merous, without odor; aestivation valvate; calyx articulate with pedicel; hypanthium basally expanded into a apophysis or not; limb erect or spreading; lobes erect or connivent after anthesis, usually glandular; corolla tubular, usually carnose when fresh, the lobes usually flaring at anthesis; stamen 10, subequal or rarely unequal, subequalling the corolla; filaments usually distinct, rarely slightly coherent at the extreme base at anthesis, alternately unequal, lacking spurs; anthers alternately unequal, lacking disintegration tissue; thecae smooth or slightly granular; tubules about the same width as the thecae and about twice as long, dehiscing by elongate clefts; pollen without viscin threads; ovary inferior, 5-locular, surmounted by a flat or cupuliform nectariferous disc; style straight or sigmoid, usually glabrous; stigma minutely 5-lobed, truncate but slightly flaring at anthesis. Fruit a berry, dark blue-black.

Cavendishia is a neotropical genus of epiphytic and terrestrial shrubs. It is the largest neotropical ericaceous genus with approximately 155 species, distributed from Mexico (Oaxaca) south through montane Central America to Bolivia, and as far east as Brazil (Amapá).

1a.

Leaves deeply cordate, amplexicaul

.........................................................................................C. complectens var. striata

1b.

Leaves not deeply cordate, not amplexicaul.

2a.

Inflorescence a panicle

................................................................................C. lebronae

2b.

Inflorescence a raceme.

3a.

Stamen 1/2--1/3 corolla length; rachis fusiform to clavate with greatest diameter at middle or distally, the floriferous nodes restricted to distal portion; corollas membranous and white proximally becoming leathery and green distally.

4a.

Floral bracts (not lower sterile inflorescence bracts) coriaceous, the venation striate-parallel; bracteoles none.

...........................................................C. mariae

4b.

Floral bracts membranous, the venation reticulate; bracteoles 2.

5a.

Rachis 4--6 (-10) cm long and 7--12 mm diam. distally; calyx limb infundibuliform, (7-) 10--15 (-17) mm long; pedicel 0--1.3 mm long

...................................................C. micayensis

5b.

Rachis 1--2 cm long and 2.5 mm diam. distally; calyx limb cylindric-campanulate, 4--7.5 mm long; pedicel 4--7 (-10) mm long

...................................................C. venosa

3b.

Stamen equal to corolla length; rachis cylindric with greatest diameter at base, the nodes floriferous over entire length or only lowest few sterile; corollas completely membranous, variously colored.

6a.

Corollas greater than 12 mm long; floral bracts persistent (at least through anthesis), greater than 12 mm long, variously colored but never green.

7a.

Calyx lobes broadly imbricate over entire length at anthesis.

8a.

Plants densely pilose on stem, leaves, and calyces; leaves bullate; bracteoles 10--12 (-16) mm long; calyx lobes 9--12 mm long

.......................................C. orthosepala

8b.

Plants glabrous; leaves flat not bullate; bracteoles 4--6 mm long; calyx lobes 4--7 mm long

.......................................C. zamorensis

7b.

Calyx lobes separate at anthesis (slightly imbricate near base in C. pubescens ).

9a.

Calyx densely woolly, the matted hairs persistent; leaves persistently soft-pilose beneath

.......................................C. pubescens

9b.

Calyx glabrous to pilose, but never woolly and the hairs never matted; leaves glabrous to glabrate.

10a.

Calyx lobe margins scarious or glandular-fimbriate, the fimbriae distinct or becoming laterally fused and then sometimes forming a thin, supramarginal gland to 1.2 mm long.

11a.

Calyx (9-) 11--15 mm long, the limb erect after anthesis and the lobes spreading

...................C. cuatrecasasii

11b.

Calyx (3.5-) 4--11 mm long, the limb and lobes connivent or connivent/twisting after anthesis.

12a.

Calyx hypanthium basally rounded or truncate, never apophysate or lobed; calyx lobes connivent after anthesis; corolla (12-) 15--20 (-25) mm long

...........C. bracteata

12b.

Calyx hypanthium basally apophysate; calyx lobes (sub)connivent/twisting after anthesis; corolla 16--40 mm long.

13a.

Calyx hypanthium deeply lobed at base, equal to or slightly longer than calyx limb at anthesis; pedicel (2-) 3.5--8 mm long; calyx lobes 2.5--4.5 mm long

...C. nobilis var. capitata

13b.

Calyx hypanthium not lobed at base, but instead with a rim 0.5--2 mm long which is produced below the articulation, the hypanthium shorter than calyx limb at anthesis; pedicel 8--20 mm long; calyx lobes 1.3--2.5 mm long

....C. tarapotana

14a.

Rachis (1-) 3--8 (-13.5) cm long, bearing (8-) 15--25 flowers; floral bracts 14--28 mm long; corolla 16--25 mm long; 400--1960 m (mostly < 1300 m), along the eastern foothills of the Andes

....................12a. var. tarapotana

14b.

Rachis 0.5--2.5 (-2.8) cm long, bearing 5--6 (-8) flowers; floral bracts 35--53 mm long; corolla 33--40 mm long; 1100--1900 m, in the western foothills of the Andes

....................12b. var. gilgiana

10b.

Calyx lobe margins glandular-callose over entire length, or entire calyx lobe glandular-callose.

15a.

Calyx lobes with callose glands along margins only.

16a.

Leaves 26--45 x 7--20 cm

.........C. grandifolia

16b.

Leaves (6.5-) 8--14 (-17.5) x 2--5 (-7) cm

..........C. engleriana

17a.

Leaves basally rounded to obtuse, glabrous, 5 (-7)-plinerved; petiole (4-) 8--13 (-16) mm long; floral bract 35--50 mm long, marginally eglandular; pedicel 7--12 (-15) mm long; bracteoles to 14 mm long; calyx lobes (2-) 2.5--3.8 mm long

...14a. var. engleriana

17b.

Leaves basally cuneate, moderately hispid on both surfaces, 3-plinerved; petiole 6--8 mm long; floral bract 30--36 mm long, marginally densely glandular; pedicel 5--8 mm long; bracteoles 4--7 mm long; calyx lobes 1.5--2.5 mm long

...14b. var. ecuadorensis

15b.

Calyx lobes completely glandular-callose and this sometimes extending onto limb proper.

18a.

Corolla lobes glandular-callose; leaves plinerved; Zamora-Chinchipe (Cordillera del Cóndor)

....C. sirensis

18b.

Corolla lobes not glandular-callose; leaves pinnately nerved or plinerved; Esmeraldas and Carchi provinces.

19a.

Leaves pinnately nerved, (4-) 5--15 cm long; pedicel provided at distal tip with angular or oblong, greeenish glands which secrete a white, sticky latex; corolla becoming swollen distally, then abruptly constricted into throat and lobes

...C. violacea

19b.

Leaves plinerved, (4.5-) 7--23 (-35) cm long; pedicel without glands; corolla cylindric throughout and only slightly narrowed at throat

...C. callista

6b.

Corollas less than 12 mm long; floral bracts caducous (prior to anthesis), less than 8 mm long, and green in color.

20a.

Inflorescence to 7-flowered; calyx lobe margins glandular-fimbriate

........................................................C. parviflora

20b.

Inflorescence (7-) 16--40-flowered; calyx lobe margins glandular-callose or with few stout glandular fimbriae.

21a.

Leaves (5.5-) 11--16 (-23.5) x (2-) 4.5--5.5 (-10) cm; bracteoles marginally glandular-callose

...............................................C. awa

21b.

Leaves (2.5-) 5--10 (-15) x 1--4.5 (-5.5) cm; bracteoles marginally glandular-fimbriate.

22a.

Leaf base short- or long-attenuate to cuneate, often slightly involute causing petiole to appear winged; reticulate veinlets of leaves prominent beneath; rachis glabrous; pedicel 10--18 mm long; calyx lobes apiculate; Esmeraldas Prov., 250--500 m altitude

.......................................C. palustris

22b.

Leaf base obtuse or rounded to subcordate, never involute, the petiole subterete; reticulate veinlets obscure on leaves beneath; rachis glabrous or short-pilose; pedicel 5--13 mm long; calyx lobes conspicuous; E Ecuador (Oriente), 900--2225 m altitude

......................................C. isernii

23a.

Calyx lobes marginally glandular-callose, separate (not imbricate); hypanthium basally apophysate with a smooth rim

............................21a. var. isernii

23b.

Calyx lobes marginally glandular-fimbriate, often imbricate; hypanthium basally rounded or truncate

...........................21b. var. pseudospicata