Epiphytic or rarely terrestrial shrub, 0.5-3 m tall, usually with pendulous branches;  stem base 1-7.5 cm in diam.;  mature branches pendent, terete, smooth, glabrous and often appearing glaucous, red or green suffused with red when fresh, but drying tan to reddish-brown;  bark gray;  twigs subterete, bluntly angled, striate, glabrous or rarely sparsely short-pilose, provided with tiny, reddish, caducous glands.  Leaves lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, or elliptic, 3-8.5(-10) x (1-)1.5-4 cm, basally rounded, truncate, or cuneate, apically long-acuminate or caudate-acuminate, glabrous or rarely short-pilose then becoming glabrate;  3(-5)-plinerved, midrib impressed and prominent above or somewhat plane distally, raised and conspicuous beneath, lateral nerves slightly raised on both surfaces or rarely impressed above, obscure or conspicuous beneath, veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces but more or less obscure;  petioles subterete, flattened adaxially, rugose, (3-)4.5-9 mm long and 0.5-1.5 mm in diam., glabrous or densely short-pilose becoming glabrate.  Inflorescence usually with all parts viscid, (4-)6-10(-18)-flowered (with lowest 1-4 nodes often sterile);  rachis subterete or bluntly angled, sometimes ribbed, glabrous, (2-)3-8(-15) cm long and 1-1.5 mm in diam., pale green to pink, often provided with few to many, red, sessile or short-clavate glandular fimbriae;  floral bracts often caducous, often translucent when fresh, smooth or ribbed when dry, oblong, oblanceolate, or elliptic rarely semiorbicular, 4-22 x 3-12 mm, basally cuneate or truncate, slightly clasping, apically acute or rounded, often apiculate and glandular-callose, rarely emarginate, with minute, red, clavate, glandular fimbriae abaxially, glabrous, rose to pale green often then with pinkish margins or entire bract turning pink with age;  pedicels striate, ribbed, glabrous, (7-)10-21(-27) mm long and 0.4-1 mm in diam., pale green to pinkish-green, often provided with either seesile or clavate, reddish glandular fimbriae;  bracteoles positioned basally to ca. midway up pedicel, smooth or conspicuously nerved, ovate, ovate-lanceolate and often cochleariform, or semiorbicular, 1-5 x 0.5-6 mm, apically acute and glandular-callose in distal 1/3-1/2, or rounded with glandular-callose apiculum, green or pinkish-green.  Flowers:  calyx glabrous, (3-)4.5-7.5 mm long, dark pink or red at anthesis later turning green;  hypanthium smooth or rugose, 5-angled or ribbed, 1-2(-3) mm long, basally broadly apophysate with apophysis margin deeply 5-lobed and perpendicular to calyx axis or somewhat ascending;  limb cylindric or somewhat spreading, smooth or rugose, often conspicuously striate, (2-)2.5-5(-6.5) mm long;  lobes triangular, (0.5-)1-1.5 mm long, erect after anthesis, completely glandular-callose, usually dark green or reddish-green at anthesis;  sinuses obtuse or broadly rounded and almost flat;  corolla cylindric, slightly narrowed at throat, sometimes curving upwards distally, viscid or not, 16-41 mm long and 3-7 mm in diam., glabrous or weakly pilose distal 1/2, tube dull white, blue, or dark reddish-maroon, lobes triangular, obtuse, 1-2.5 mm long, erect to reflexed at anthesis;  stamens 16-34.5 mm long;  filaments glabrous or pilose, alternately 2.5-6 mm and 5.5-12.5 mm long;  anthers alternately 14-32 mm and 11.5-25 mm long;  thecae 3-8 mm long;  style 18.5-40 mm long.  Berry 11-14 mm in diam.

    Distribution (Map).  Costa Rica and western Panama, at elevations of 950-2800 m.
 

 Key to Varieties of  Cavendishia melastomoides

1.  Corolla (19-)26-41 mm long, reddish-maroon or blue.
    2.  Rachis and pedicels usually densely glandular-fimbriate;
         floral  bracts apically rounded or acute; bracteoles lanceolate or
         narrowly ovate-lanceolate, glandular-callose i distal 1/3-1/2;
         corolla  reddish-maroon; Costa Rica ........... var. melastomoides
    2.  Rachis and pedicels usually with only a few,scattered glandular
         fimbriae or none; floral bracts apically slightly notched
         and callose-apiculate; bracteoles broadly ovate to
         semi-orbicular, callose-apiculate; corolla blue; Panama
                    ............................................................ var. coloradensis
1.  Corolla 16-20 mm long, white ................................... var. albiflora
 

Cavendishia melastomoides (Klotzsch) Hemsley var. melastomoides.  Images:  Habit. Flowers.

[Cavendishia klotzschiana Niedenzu, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 11: 206.  1890.  (Superfluous name, Art. 63).]

Cavendishia graebneriana Hoerold, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 42: 324.  1909.  Type. Costa Rica: Wercklé 29 (lectotype: frag. ex B and photo NY).  The holotype at B was destroyed, although it is represented in photo (F neg. 4662).

     Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Costa Rica, in the Cordillera Central and Cordillera de Talamanca, in cloud forest, disturbed forest, on remnant trees in pastureland, or on fence-row trees, at elevations of 1400-2800 m . Flowering occurs April-June, and fruiting June-September.

Cavendishia melastomoides (Klotzsch) Hemsley var. coloradensis Luteyn, Brittonia  28: 401.  1976.  Type.  Panama.  Chiriquí: Cerro Colorado, 50 km N of San Félix on the continental divide, 1200-1500 m, 12 Aug 1975 (fl), Mori & Dressler 7776 (holotype: NY, photo NY neg. 9811; isotype: DUKE, MO, photo NY neg. 9249).  Images: Habit. Flowers.

    Rachis (2-)2.5-7 cm long, with or without scattered clavate glandular fimbriae; floral bracts caducous or persistent, oblong to somewhat oblanceolate, 6-22 x 3-12 mm, apically rounded or slightly notched, callose-apiculate, pink to red when fresh;  pedicels 10-19 mm long, with or without glands as rachis;  bracteoles broadly ovate to semiorbicular, callose-apiculate.  Corolla viscid, 29-32 mm long, glabrous or weakly pilose distal 1/2, rarely distally arcuate, blue;  stamens 27-29 mm long;  filaments glabrous or pilose ventrally, alternately 3.5-4 mm and 8-11 mm long;  anthers alternately 25-27 mm and 20-21 mm long;  style ca. 31 mm long.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Panama, where is has been collected at Cerro Colorado and in the vicinity of the Fortuna dam site (both Chiriquí Prov.), in cloud forest, at elevations of 1050-1750 m.  It has been collected in flower during February, March, and July-October.

Cavendishia melastomoides (Klotzsch) Hemsley var. albiflora Luteyn, Brittonia 28:  51.  1976.  Type.  Costa Rica.  Puntarenas: Vicinity of Monteverde, 1440-1500 m, 11 Jul 1972 (fl), Luteyn 3389 (holotype: DUKE;  isotypes: BM, CAS, CR, E, F, FSU, G, GH, LL, MICH, MO, MSU, NY, UC, US, WIS, photo NY neg. 9810).  Color slide.

    Rachis (2-)3-4(-6) cm long, eglandular;  floral bracts caducous, oblong, elliptic or rarely semiorbicular, 4-7.5(-10.5) mm long, apically rounded and usually slightly emarginate;  pedicels 9-13(-15) mm long, eglandular;  bracteoles lanceolate to narrowly ovate-lanceolate, glandular-callose in distal 1/3-1/2.  Corolla not viscid, 16-20 mm long, glabrous, distally straight not arcuate, white;  stamens 16-18 mm long;  filaments glabrous, alternately 2.5-3 mm and 5.5-7 mm long;  anthers alternately 14.5-15.5 mm and 11.5-12 mm long;  style ca. 18.5 mm long.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to the Cordillera de Tilarán, Alajuala Prov., Costa Rica, in disturbed areas, edges of cloud forest, and on remnant trees in pastureland, at elevations of 950-1500 m.  This variety should be considered Rare and endangered.