Cavendishia splachnoides A. C. Smith, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 28: 471. 1932. Type. Panama. Darién: Cerro de Garagará, Sambú basin, 500-974 m, 7 Feb 1912 (fl), Pittier 5647 (holotype: US, photos NY neg. 9151 and ACS neg. 7).Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub to 3 m tall; mature branches subterete, somewhat striate, glabrous, glaucous. Leaves lanceolate, ovate- or elliptic-lanceolate, elliptic to oblong, (8.5-)10-17(-22) x 3-7 cm, basally rounded to broadly obtuse, sometimes truncate or subcordate rarely cuneate, apically long-acuminate or sometimes caudate-acuminate (acumen 1.5-2 cm long), glabrous although weakly pilose along midrib above; pinnately veined with 4-7 pairs of lateral nerves, lowest 1-2 pairs often prominently arcuate-ascending giving leaf a plinerved appearance, midrib thickened and raised through proximal half otherwise thin and raised or slighlty impressed above, raised and prominent beneath, lateral nerves raised above (rarely impressed) and beneath, reticulate veinlets slighlty raised but usually inconspicuous on both surfaces; petioles terete, rugose, 5-10(-13) mm long and (1-)2-3(-3.5) mm in diam., glabrous or rarely pilsoe (in Panama). Inflorescence (8-)13-25(-34)-flowered; rachis subterete, usually bluntly angled, glabrous, (4-)9-13(-25) cm long and 2-3(-4) mm in diam.; floral bracts smooth, oblong or ovate-lanceolate, 25-42 x 10-20 mm, basally tapering and truncate or rounded, auriculate, apically acute to acuminate rarely obtuse, marginally scarious, glabrous but dorsally glandular-fimbriate, pink to rose-red when fresh; pedicels subterete, sometimes striate or ribbed, glabrous, 10-34 mm long (rarely extending to 55 mm after anthesis) and 1-3 mm in diam., rose-red when fresh; bracteoles located near base to 1/3 up pedicel, membranaceous to subcoriaceous, sometimes striate, ovate, oblong or linear-lanceolate, 2.5-9 x 1-2.5 mm, glabrous, glandular-callose over entire surface of distal 1/3 or only along margins, tip (distal 1-1.5 mm) often strongly curved and cucullate, yellowish-green with purple margin when fresh. Flowers: calyx glabrous, (8-)10.5-14 mm long; hypanthium subcylindric, 10-ribbed, (2-)3-4(-5) mm long of which 1-2.5 mm is apophysis, conspicuously constricted distally and strongly apophysate basally, the apophysis flaring then perpendicular or extending parallel to the hypanthium axis, green suffused with pink when fresh; limb cylindric, erect, conspicuously striate when dry, (5.5-)7-10.5 mm long, dark yellowish-green when fresh; lobes triangular, subacute, (1.5-)2-3 mm long, erect after anthesis, glandular-callose in the distal 1/3-3/4, purple when fresh; sinuses obtuse to subacute; corolla cylindric, slightly narrowed at base and throat, glabrous to densely pilose with white hairs without rarely sparsely pilose within (in type collection), (24-)26-33(-40) mm long and ca. 7-8 mm in diam., translucent yellowish-green with a mauve to purple hue when fresh, lobes triangular, 1-2 mm long, dorsally bearing an oblong to circular callose gland which is purple when fresh; stamens 24-31 mm long; filaments short-pilose distally on ventral surface, alternatley 2-6 mm and 7-12.5 mm long; anthers alternately 22-28.5 mm and 16.5-21.5 mm long; thecae alternately 8-13 mm and 6-10 mm long; style slightly exserted or exposed at anthesis when corolla lobes spread. Berry ca. 15 mm in diam.
Distribution (Map).
SW Darién Prov., Panama and southward in Colombia to N Valle Dept.
and on E slopes of the Cordillera Central in Antioquia Dept., in primary
rain and cloud forest, and along river banks and disturbed forest edge,
at elevations of 5-2100 m.