Key to the Genera of Ericaceae of Ecuador
- 1a.
- Ovary superior.
- 2a.
- Corolla polypetalous; fruit a septicidal capsule; seeds winged or tailed
- .................................................................................................Bejaria
- 2b.
- Corolla sympetalous; fruit a loculicidal capsule or berry; seeds not winged
nor tailed.
- 3a.
- Stamen with filaments geniculate; anthers without terminal awns; fruit a naked
capsule
- ........................................................................................Agarista
- 3b.
- Stamen with filaments straight; anthers with terminal awns; fruit a capsule
surrounded by the fleshy calyx, or a berry.
- 4a.
- Fruit a capsule surrounded by the fleshy calyx
- ...............................................................................Gaultheria
- 4b.
- Fruit a berry, rarely calyx becoming fleshy at base but never surrounding the
berry
- ..............................................................................Pernettya
- 1b.
- Ovary inferior.
- 5a.
- Stamen of unequal lengths, the filaments or anthers or both of alternately different
lengths.
- 6a.
- Filaments equal and coherent over entire length
- ........................................................................................Satyria
- 6b.
- Filaments unequal, usually distinct.
- 7a.
- Anthers unequal; stamen usually as long as corolla; floral bracts usually large
and persistent
- ...............................................................................Cavendishia
- 7b.
- Anthers equal; stamen usually about one-third as long as corolla floral bracts
usually small, sometimes large, but always caducous.
- ...............................................................................Orthaea
- 5b.
- Stamen of equal lengths, the filaments and anthers of equal lengths.
- 8a.
- Stamen about one-third to two-thirds as long as corolla; anther tubules short
in proportion to the thecae, elongate-conical, and rigid.
- 9a.
- Anther tubules fused into one; staminal filaments connate; calyx sharply angled
and usually winged; corolla angled to ribbed, rarely terete; berry translucent
white
- ...............................................................................Macleania
- 9b.
- Anther tubules two, distinct or laterally connate; staminal filaments distinct
(very rarely connate); calyx terete; corolla terete; berry blue-black or green,
never translucent white.
- 10a.
- Corolla subglobose, broadly urceolate, or cylindric-subglobose to cylindric-urceolate,
usually < 10 (-14) mm long
- ......................................................................Psammisia
- 10b.
- Corolla cylindric to cylindric-urceolate, usually elongate and > 14 mm long.
- 11a.
- Anthers (sometimes alternate ones) bearing horn-like spurs (sometimes inconspicuous)
along connective, if spurless then corolla conspicuously and abruptly constricted
once or twice at or below the middle; anther tubules 2, distinct or connate in lower half
- .............................................................Psammisia
- 11b.
- Anthers without spurs; corolla always gradually narrowing distally not abruptly
constricted; anther tubules 2, laterally connate sometimes to the tip
- .............................................................Macleania
- 8b.
- Stamen usually as long as corolla; anther tubules usually equalling or much longer
than the thecae, cylindric, and flexible.
- 12a.
- Calyx articulate with pedicel.
- 13a.
- Stamen with tubules about half the diameter of the thecae, and very elongate
(3--5 times the thecae length); thecae very coarsely granular; corolla usually
basally gibbous and with proportionately very elongate lobes
- ........................................................................Ceratostema
- 13b.
- Stamen with tubules about equal in diameter with thecae, not elongate (at most
2 times the thecae length); thecae smooth; corolla cylindric over entire length
with lobes proportionately short.
- 14a.
- Flowers subsessile; bracteoles apical, usually clasping and completely surrounding
calyx and often lower part of corolla
- ...............................................................Disterigma
- 14b.
- Flowers obviously pedicellate; bracteoles usually basal, never clasping or surrounding
calyx or corolla.
- 15a.
- Corolla cylindric-tubular, usually greater than 11 mm long, texture carnose and
coriaceous, the lobes valvate; staminal filaments proportionally short and inconspicuous
with regards to anther.
- 16a.
- Calyx hypanthium angled or winged; leaves alternate or rarely subopposite;
staminal tubules usually 1.5--2 times longer than thecae
- ..........................................Plutarchia
- 16b.
- Calyx hypanthium usually terete; leaves alternate; staminal tubules usually
about equalling (rarely shorter than) thecae
- ..........................................Thibaudia
- 15b.
- Corolla urceolate, 7--12 mm long, texture thin and membranous, the lobes imbricate;
staminal filaments proportionally long with regards to anther.
- 17a.
- Fruit a drupe with 10 pyrenes, the ovary with a single ovule in each of the 10
locules
- ..........................................Gaylussacia
- 17b.
- Fruit a many-seeded berry, the ovary with few to numerous ovules in each of the
5 (-10) locules
- ..........................................Vaccinium
- 12b.
- Calyx continuous with pedicel.
- 18a.
- Stamen with tubules thin, about half the diameter of the thecae, and very elongate
(usually 3--6 times the thecae length).
- 19a.
- Stamen 5, the anther thecae smooth
- .............................................................Oreanthes
- 19b.
- Stamen 10, the anther thecae smooth or coarsely granular.
- 20a.
- Anther thecae smooth; corolla 4--8 mm basal diam., the lobes inconspicuous,
1--2 mm long; leaves succulent when fresh
- ....................................................Oreanthes
- 20b.
- Anther thecae coarsely granular; corolla 8--16 mm basal diam., the lobes very
conspicuous, either long and narrow or short and very broad; leaves not succulent.
- 21a.
- Corolla 16--20 mm long, broadly pentagonal, basally ventricose, distally narrowed,
the lobes elongate, narrow, and strongly reflexed
- ..........................................Ceratostema
- 21b.
- Corolla 31--50 (-65) mm long, terete, basally narrowed, distally broadened, the
lobes short, broad, and erect
- ..........................................Semiramisia
- 18b.
- Stamen with tubules about equal in diameter with the thecae, not elongate (at
most 2 times the thecae length).
- 22a.
- Calyx and corolla both terete, neither angled nor winged; corollas usually small,
membranous, to 10 mm long (some Sphyrospermum to 22 mm long); seeds with green embryos.
- 23a.
- Flowers solitary or in twos; pedicel often cernuous, filiform, elongate; filaments
usually longer than anthers; nectariferous disc often not apparent
- ...................................................Sphyrospermum
- 23b.
- Flowers usually in few- to many-flowered fascicles or racemes, rarely solitary;
pedicel slender but not normally cernuous; filaments usually shorter than anthers;
nectariferous disc usually conspicuous
- ...................................................Diogenesia
- 22b.
- Calyx angled to winged; corolla terete to winged; corollas usually large, carnose
to coriaceous, (10-) 14--35 mm long; seeds with green or white embryos.
- 24a.
- Corolla 8--15 mm long, usually terete, but if narrowly winged then broadest at
the base, whitish- to yellowish-green in color; seeds with embryo green
- ...................................................Themistoclesia
- 24b.
- Corolla 8--35 mm long, narrowly winged over entire length and pinkish-white to
red in color, or broadly winged distally and with the color combination of reddish-orange
basally becoming green at throat and with white lobes; seeds with embryo white.
- 25a.
- Corolla usually broadest distally because of wings, reddish-orange basally becoming
green at throat and with white lobes, 8--12 mm long; leaves alternate, opposite,
or whorled
- ..........................................Anthopterus
- 25b.
- Corolla cylindric, essentially of equal diameter throughout, pinkish-white to
red in color, 10--35 mm long; leaves alternate
- ..........................................Thibaudia