Comarostaphylis mucronata Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 76.  1851.  Arctostaphylos mucronata (Klotzsch) Hemsley, Biol. centr.-amer., Bot. 2: 279.  1881. Type.  Mexico: Ehrenberg s.n. (lectotype, designated by Diggs (1995): NY, photo, Diggs neg. 21);  isolectotypes: BM, G, GH, L-fragments, P, RSA).  The holotype was deposited at Berlin and was destroyed.
    Comarostaphylis mucronata Klotzsch var. angustata Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 77.  1851.  Type unknown.  Only one citation, "In Mexico (C. Ehrenberg)," was given for the species and its two varieties.  If a type did exist, it was destroyed at B.
    Comarostaphylis mucronata Klotzsch var. brevifolia Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 77.   1851.  Type unknown.  The situation is the same as for var. angustata cited above.
        Erect, evergreen shrubs 1-3 m tall;  bark peeling or exfoliating in irregular plates, outer bark brown to orange, newly exposed areas brown to greenish-brown or yellowish-green;  young twigs canescent, the trichomes eglandular, but glandular trichomes also sometimes present.  Leaves coriaceous to slightly so, elliptic to oblong, plane, not revolute, 3.7-12 x 0.7-3.3 cm, basally cuneate to rarely nearly round, apically acute to obtuse, usually mucronate, marginally serrulate to entire, upper surface glabrous or with scattered eglandular or glandular hyaline trichomes, often nearly glabrate with age, lower surface usually much lighter in color than upper surface, puberulent to densely gray-tomentose;  petioles 3-16 mm long, with indumentum as on young twigs.  Inflorescences paniculate, usually much-branched, 3.8-8.9 cm long;  rachis, pedicels, bracts, bracteoles, and calyx canescent, sometimes also with glandular trichomes, indumentum usually dense enough for inflorescence structures to appear whitish-gray to the naked eye;  floral bracts nearly plane to navicular or carinate, lanceolate to ovate, 1.4-4.5 mm long, often ciliate;  pedicels 2-9 mm long;  bracteoles rarely more than two, basal to subdistal, lanceolate to ovate, 0.8-2.2 mm long, often ciliate.  Flowers:  calyx lobes triangular to ovate-triangular, 1.4-2 x 0.9-1.4 mm, acute to acuminate, subglabrous to canescent, ciliate, sometimes reddish;  corollas 4.8-8.2 x 3.7-5.4 mm, glabrous or slightly pubescent, light to deep pink, sometimes darker distally, the lobes 1.2-2.2 x 1.5-1.9 mm;  stamens 2.5-2.9 mm long;  filaments 2.1-2.7 mm long, densely villous;  anthers 1-1.5 x 0.6-0.8 mm, the spurs nearly absent to 0.5 mm long;  ovary glabrous or subglabrous;  style 4.8-5.8 mm long, glabrous.  Fruit red when immature, dark purple to black at maturity, 4-6 mm in diam.;  seeds 2-2.5 x 1-1.2 mm, surface reticulate.

        Distribution.  Endemic to Mexico, to the Sierra Madre Oriental of NW and W central Hidalgo (and one collection from NE Queretaro), in Juniperus, Pinus, or Quercus-Pinus forests, at elevations of 1400-2100(-2500) m.  Flowering and fruiting Apr-Sep, Jun-Nov, respectively.