Agarista chlorantha (Chamisso) G. Don, Gen. hist. 3: 838. 1934.
Andromeda
chlorantha Chamisso, Linnaea 8: 508. 1833. Leucothoe chlorantha
(Chamisso) A. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 7: 604. 1839. Illustration:
Judd (1995), fig. 10. Type. Brazil. Without definite
locality, Sellow s.n. (holotype, B, destroyed; frag. of holotype,
F; photos of holotype, F, G, GH; frag. of isotype, NY).
Amechania subcanescens A. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 7: 579. 1839.
Leucothoe subcanescens (A. P. de Candolle) Meissner in Martius, Fl.
brasil. 7: 163. t. 62, fig. 1. 1863. Leucothoe chlorantha
(Chamisso) A. P. de Candolle var. subcanescens (A. P. de Candolle)
Sleumer, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 78: 454. 1959. Type. Brazil.
São Paulo: Batatais, Jun 1834, Lund s.n. (holotype, G-DC,
n.v.; frag. of holotype, NY, n.v.; isotype, C).
Andromeda serrulata Chamisso, Linnaea 8: 506. 1833. Agarista
serrulata (Chamisso) G. Don, Gen. hist. 3: 838. 1834. Leucothoe
serrulata (Chamisso) A. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 7: 604. 1839.
Type. Brazil. Sao Paulo: (see Meissner in Martius, 1863), Sellow
s.n. (holotype, B, destroyed; frag. of holotype, F, NY, n.v.; photo
of holotype, GH; isotypes, E, G, K).
Erectly branched shrub or subshrub to 1.5 m tall, with
bark usually not well developed; twigs with or without scattered gland-headed
hairs, otherwise moderately to densely pubescent, with ± nonchambered
to hollow pith; buds to ca. 0.6 mm long, leaves revolute. Leaves
coriaceous, ovate or narrowly ovate to orbicular or even suborbicular,
0.7-2.5 x 0.25-1.3(-1.7) cm, base cordate, apex acute- to rounded-mucronate,
margin entire, often sinuous (serrulate due to gland-headed hairs), strongly
to slightly revolute (± plane), adaxial surface sparsely pubescent
on midvein, especially basal portion, abaxial surface with or without gland-headed
hairs on midvein, otherwise glabrous to sparsely pubescent on basal portion
of midvein, often with few very inconspicuous glandular dots along midvein;
petiole 1-4 mm long. Inflorescences axillary (terminal) racemes to
(1-)1.5-8.5 cm long (flowers solitary, axillary), rachis with or without
scattered gland-headed hairs, otherwise moderately to densely pubescent;
pedicels 3.5-13 mm long, with or without gland-headed hairs, otherwise
moderately to densely pubescent; bracteoles 2 (several), alternate to subopposite
from nearly basal to within lower 1/3 of pedicel (to near apex), triangular
to linear (ovate), to ca. 2.5 mm long; floral bracts to 3 mm long.
Flowers with triangular to ovate calyx lobes, with ± acute apices,
2.5-5.5 x 0.8-1.7 mm, abaxial surface with or without gland-headed hairs,
otherwise very sparsely to densely pubescent; corolla cylindrical, white
(reddish toward apex), 7-11.5 x 3-6.5 mm, glabrous; filaments 5.5-6.5 mm
long; anthers 1-1.6 mm long; ovary sparsely to densely pubescent.
Capsules short-ovoid to subglobose, 3-5 x 4.5-7 mm, placentae subapical;
seeds 1-2.1 mm long.
Distribution. Endemic to SE Brazil (from Distrito
Federal south to Minas Gerais and São Paulo, and disjunctly from
Paraná south to Santa Catarina), in wet, boggy or marshy campo,
with grasses, sedges, and Xyris, open rocky and/or grassy areas,
gallery forest, at 700-1650 m alt. Flowering late August through
December (January).