Kalmia ericoides Wright ex Grisebach, Cat. pl. Cub. 51. 1866.

   An evergreen erect to decumbent-spreading, sparsely branched shrub to 1(-1.4) m tall with a thickened burl-like stem just below soil surface, frequently sprouting from base after fire or disturbance; mature stems terete, with longitudinally furrowed, dark brown bark; twigs terete, light gray to reddish, slender to stout, densely covered with unicellular hairs to lacking such hairs, sparsely to densely covered with multicellular, multiseriate, short- to long-stalked, glandular-headed hairs, and lacking to densely covered with multicellular, multiseriate, long-celled hairs; buds minute, to 0.3 mm long, densely covered with glandular-headed and long-celled hairs. Leaves alternate and sparsely to densely distributed along stem (ca. 4-25(-30) leaves per cm), linear to ovate, (3-)3.5-14 x 0.5-3(-4) mm, base cuneate to rounded, apex acute, margin entire, strongly revolute, adaxial surface densely covered with unicellular hairs to lacking such hairs, very sparsely to densely covered with short- to long-stalked glandular-headed hairs, and lacking to sparsely covered with long-celled hairs, abaxial surface sparsely to densely covered with unicellular hairs, occasionally such hairs completely lacking, with scattered short- to long-stalked glandular-headed hairs and sometimes also long-celled hairs; venation obscurely brochidodromous; petiole essentially lacking to 1.5 mm long. Inflorescence a solitary flower, or occasionally a 2-4-flowered fascicle or short raceme, these borne in the axils of leaves or bract-like leaves at ends of branches, thus forming a pseudoterminal cluster; pedicels 4-14 mm long, densely covered with unicellular hairs to lacking such hairs, with scattered glandular-headed hairs and sometimes also long-celled hairs; bracteoles 2, opposite and basal, ovate-triangular to narrowly triangular, 1-3 mm long, with unicellular hairs and glandular-headed hairs. Flowers with calyx lobes narrowly triangular to ovate-triangular with acuminate to acute apices, 3-6 mm long, 0.8-2.3 mm wide, green, adaxial surface densely covered with unicellular hairs to lacking such hairs, with or without scattered glandular-headed and/or long-celled hairs, abaxial surface with a few unicellular hairs near apex to densely covered with such hairs, with scattered glandular-headed hairs, sometimes also long-celled hairs; corolla white to pink, 6-12 x 8-17 mm, adaxial surface sparsely covered with unicellular hairs toward base, abaxial surface with glandular-headed and sometimes also long-celled hairs, occasionally with a few unicellular hairs; filaments 3-5 mm long, sparsely to moderately covered with unicellular hairs near base and glabrous above; anthers 0.7-1.2 mm long; pollen released in tetrads with viscin strands; ovary ± globose, moderately to densely covered with glandular-headed hairs, sometimes also with a few unicellular hairs, with axile placentation and centrally located placentae; style 3.5-7 mm long. Capsule 1.7-3 x 2-4 mm, sparsely to densely covered with glandular-headed hairs, sometimes also with a few unicellular hairs; seeds ovoid, 0.4-0.7 mm long, with testa of slightly elongated and minutely pitted cells, not extending past the ends of the seed.

Distribution. Cuba, in the province of Pinar del Río and the Isle of Pines (=Isle of Youth).

Key to Varieties of Kalmia ericoides

l. Stems lacking unicellular hairs to very sparsely unicellular-pubescent;
pedicels lacking unicellular hairs; abaxial surface of calyx lobes
lacking unicellular hairs or with only a few near apex or along margin;
adaxial surface of leaves lacking unicellular hairs to sparsely covered
with such hairs along mid-vein; Pinar del Río ....................... var. ericoides
1. Stems ± densely covered with unicellular hairs; pedicels very sparsely
to densely covered with unicellular hairs; abaxial surface of calyx
lobes moderately to densely covered with unicellular hairs throughout;
adaxial surface of leaves lacking unicellular hairs to densely covered
with such hairs; Isle of Pines .............................................. var. aggregata

 

Kalmia ericoides Wright ex Grisebach var. ericoides. Chamaedaphne ericoides (Wright ex Grisebach) Kuntze, Rev. gen. pl. 2: 388. 1891. Kalmiella ericoides (Wright ex Grisebach) Small, N. Amer. Fl. 29: 54. 1914. Type. Cuba. Pinar del Río: Guane, near La Grifa, C. Wright 2199 (holotype, GOET, n.v.; isotypes, GH, MO, NY1, NY2, NY3, US, n.v.).

    Stems lacking unicellular hairs or very sparsely covered with such hairs, with a moderate to dense covering of long-celled hairs and glandular-headed hairs. Leaves (3-)4-9 x 0.5-1.7(-3) mm; adaxial surface lacking unicellular hairs or only sparsely covered with such hairs on midvein, especially near base, with scattered glandular-headed hairs and conspicuous, long-celled hairs, especially along margin near base. Pedicels lacking unicellular hairs, usually longer than subtending leaves, thus giving inflorescence an open appearance. Flowers with calyx lobes 3-5 mm long; abaxial surface with a few unicellular hairs near apex and along margin, with scattered glandular-headed and long-celled hairs. Capsules lacking unicellular hairs.

    Distribution. Cuba, in the province of Pinar del Río, in white-sand savannas; associated species briefly discussed by Marie-Victorin & León (1944). Flowering from November through May (June).

 

Kalmia ericoides Wright ex Grisebach var. aggregata (Small) Ebinger, Rhodora 76: 389.  1974.  Kalmiella aggregata Small, N. Amer. Fl. 29: 54.  1914.  Kalmia aggregata (Small) Copeland, Amer. Midl. Naturalist 30: 571. 1943.  Type.  Cuba. Isle of Pines: Los Indios, 17 May 1910, Jennings 324 (holotype, NY;  isotype, MO).