Terrestrial and epiphytic shrub with braches to 5 m long and stem bases to 10 cm diam., sometimes climbing to 9 m;  stem terete to subterete, smooth to striate, glabrous or rarely weakly short-pilose;  twigs sometimes flexuous.  Leaves ovate, elliptic, oblong to oblong-elliptic, rarely suborbicular (7.5-)9-15(-20) x (2.5-)3-7.5(-10) cm broad, base rounded then often short-attenuate, obtuse, broadly cuneate especially when young, or truncate, apex usually abruptly short-acuminate with acumen 1.5-2.5 cm long, glabrous or rarely proximally short-pilose above;  5(-7)-plinerved from at or near base, midrib and inner pair of lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, outer pair of lateral nerves and reticulate veinlets raised above and obscure beneath;  petiole terete or subterete, slightly rugose, (3-)7-15 mm long and 1-2.5 mm diam., glabrous (one plant densely puberulent).  Inflorescence 5-25-flowered;  rachis subterete to coarsely angled, often muricate, glabrous, 0.5-11(-13.5) cm long and 1.5-3 mm diam.;  floral bract concave to cucullate, oblong, 14-53 x 8-35 mm, apically rounded and sometimes emarginate, glabrous, translucent dark pink to glossy dark red;  pedicel subterete to angled, glabrous, 8-20 mm long and ca. 2 mm diam., pink;  bracteoles oblong to oblong-elliptic, 2.5-7 x 1-2.7 mm, glabrous, marginally glandular-fimbriate (rarely lacking glands), pink.  Flowers with calyx glabrous, 5-11.5 mm long;  hypanthium campanulate to barrel-shaped, slightly rugose, 2.3-5 mm long, base apophysate with a rim 0.5-2 mm long which is produced below articulation thus enveloping distal portion of pedicel;  limb campanulate or erecto-patent, 2.7-7.5 mm long (longer than hypanthium);  lobes broadly deltate, bluntly acute, 1.3-2.5 x 3-4.2 mm, subconnivent and twisting around style base after anthesis, marginally with glandular fimbriae which may partially or completely fuse laterally to form thin or thickened supramarginal oblong glands to 1.2 mm long on each side of lobe but these not contiguous at tip;  sinuses obtuse to broadly rounded;  corolla cylindric, constricting slightly towards apex, glabrous, 16-40 mm long and 5-10 mm diam., waxy to translucent white with a bright red band at constricted throat when fresh, the lobes triangular, obtuse, 0.8-1 mm long, white;  stamen (13-)17.3-25.5 mm long;  filaments usually short-pilose ventrally distal half, alternately (2-)3-5.5 mm and 6-9 mm long;  anthers alternately 14.3-21 mm and 12.2-18.6 mm long;  thecae 3.5-8 mm long;  style equalling corolla or slightly exserted.  Berry ca. 13 mm diam.

 Key to Varieties of Cavendishia tarapotana

1. 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
                       ........................................................  var. tarapotana
1. 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 .............................  var. gilgiana
 

Cavendishia tarapotana (Meisn.) Bentham & Hooker var. tarapotana.  Images:  Habit.  Flowers.  Line-drawing.

Thibaudia tarapotana Meisn. in Martius Fl. Brasil. 7: 126.  1863.  Chupalon tarapotanum (Meisn.) O. Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 384.  1891.  Type.  Peru.  San Martín: Río Mayo, nr Tarapoto, Jul-Aug 1856 (fl), Spruce 4302 [lectotype: K-Herb. Benth., designated by A. C. Smith (1932), photo NY neg. 9434;  isolectotypes: BM, BR, G, NY (2x), W].

Cavendishia mexiae A. C. Smith, Phytologia 1: 210.  1937.   Type.  Ecuador: Pastaza: Puyo, 400 m, 18 Feb 1935 (fl), Mexia 6916 (holotype: NY, photo NY neg. 9161;  isotypes: K, UC, US).

    Inflorescence (8-)15-25-flowered;  rachis (1-)3-8(-13.5) cm long, often continuing to elongate even after lowermost flowers have dropped their corollas;  floral bract 14-28 x 8-18 mm, apically rounded;  pedicel 8-11(-16) mm long;  bracteoles 2.5-4 mm long.  Calyx 5-8.5 mm;  limb 2.7-5 mm long;  corolla 16-25 mm long and 5-6 mm diam.;  stamen 14-18 mm long.

    Distribution (Map).  Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru;  primary wet and rainforest to secondary montane cloud forest, especially in open or disturbed sites at 400-1960 m altitude.

    Uses:  Cultivated at ABG, E, NY.
 

Cavendishia tarapotana (Meisn.) Bentham & Hooker var. gilgiana (Hoerold) Luteyn,  Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 35: 164.  1983. Cavendishia gilgiana Hoerold, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 42: 327.  1909.  Type.  Ecuador. Pichincha: Alaspongo, Sep 1899 (bud), Sodiro 92/18c (holotype: B†, photos F neg. 4660 and ACS neg. 119;  lectotype: Q, designated by Luteyn, 1983).  Images:  Habit.  Flowers.  Line-drawing.

    Inflorescence 5-6-flowered;  rachis 0.5-2.5 cm long;  floral bract 35-53 x 22-35 mm, apically rounded or rarely shallowly emarginate;  pedicel 10-20 mm long;  bracteoles 5-7 mm long.  Calyx 7-11.5 mm long;  limb 4-7.5 mm long;  corolla 33-40 mm long and 8-10 mm diam.;  stamen 21-26 mm long.

    Distribution (Map).  Colombia and N Ecuador;  tropical wet forest, premontane wet forest, to montane rainforest, usually disturbed sites at 1100-1900 m altitude.

    Local name:  espelma.

    Uses:  fruits are edible and quite juicy although not very sweet (pers. obs.).  Cultivated at ABG, NY.