Evergreen shrub to ca. 3.5 m tall, with longitudinally furrowed bark; twigs slightly to moderately angled, slender, sparsely to densely lepidote, otherwise glabrous to densely pubescent; buds ovoid, 0.6-1 x 0.5-0.8 mm.  Leaf blades widely obovate or orbicular, obovate to elliptic or narrowly elliptic, 1-5(-5.5) x 0.3-4.8 cm, ± flat to slightly or strongly recurved, coriaceous, ca. 0.3-0.48 mm thick; base narrowly to broadly cuneate to rounded; apex acute to rounded or truncate; margin plane to strongly revolute, entire to sinuous; venation brochidodromous, 3o veins ± reticulate; adaxial surface roughened by raised-reticulate pattern of 3o veins and/or thickened persistent scale bases (sometimes only clearly developed near margins or apex of leaf), to smooth (in var. toaensis), lepidote but scales quickly deciduous, sparsely to densely pubescent on basal portion of midvein, sometimes extending to some 2o and 3o veins, the 3o and higher order veins forming ± raised reticulum to nearly obscure, the midvein depressed or not, the 2o veins visible to obscure, not depressed or with few per leaf slighlty to strongly depressed; abaxial surface moderately lepidote, otherwise densely pubescent, the 3o and higher order veins ± flat, obscure to less commonly very slightly and laxly reticulate, the 2o veins slighlty raised and visible or obscure; scales rust colored, often becoming whitish with age, persistent, ca. 0.1-0.22 mm in diameter, ± irregular; petiole 1.5-6 mm long, lepidote, otherwise pubescent adaxially or all around; flower buds ± intermixed with vegetative buds.  Inflorescences fasciculate, 1- to 7-flowered; pedicels not articulated with calyx and appearing swollen just below capsule, slender, 1.5-7 mm long, lepidote, otherwise glabrous to moderately pubescent; bracteoles subopposite, nearly basal, narrowly triangular, 0.5-0.8 mm long; floral bracts to ca. 0.8 mm long.  Flowers 4-(or -5)-merous; calyx lobes triangular, with acuminate apices, 0.5-1 x 0.4-0.6 mm, adaxial side glabrous to very sparsely pubescent, especially toward margins or apex, abaxial side moderately to densely lepidote; corolla urceolate to cylindrical, white, 2-3 x 1-2.2 mm, abaxially sparsely lepidote; filaments roughened, 1-1.5 mm long, unappendaged or with very minute spurs near anther-filament junction; anthers 0.7-0.9 mm long; ovary lepidote, otherwise pubescent, placentae ± subapical.  Capsules narrowly ovoid, 2.5-4.5 x 1-2 mm, lepidote, otherwise very sparsely pubescent (only a few hairs near base), the pale very thick sutures separating as unit from adjacent valves; seeds 1.5-2.4 mm long.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Cuba (Prov. Oriente, Sierra de Nipe, Sierra de Cristal, Sierra de Micara, Sierra del Frijol (Pico Galano), Sierra de Moa, and limonite plateau near Moa), in dense thickets, or moist montane forests, stream sides, grassy areas, Pinus cubensis savannas, at ca. 300-1200 m alt.
 

 Key to the Varieties of Lyonia glandulosa

1.  Leaves flat, the veins not depressed, the lamina orbicular to
    broadly obovate, length/width quotient 0.9-1.8, apex always
    rounded ................................................. var. toaensis.
1.  Leaves slightly to strongly recurved, at least the midvein depressed,
    the lamina obovate to elliptic or narrowly elliptic, length/width
    quotient 1.5-7, apex acute to rounded.
    2.  Leaves obovate to less commonly elliptic, 0.5-2 cm wide, from
        1.5-3(-3.5) times as long as wide, apical margin usually plane or
        only slightly revolute; Sierra de Nipe ............ var. glandulosa.
    2.  Leaves elliptic to narrowly so, usually not over ca. 1 cm wide,
        from 2.5-7(-10) times as long as wide, apical margin slightly to
        strongly revolute; chiefly in Sierra de Micara, Sierra de Cristal,
        Sierra de Moa, and vicinity of Moa ............. var. revolutifolia.
 

Lyonia glandulosa (A. Richard) Urban var. glandulosa.  Leucothoe glandulosa A. Richard in Sagra, Hist. Fis. Pol. Nat. Cuba 11: 74. 1850 [1851].  Andromeda glandulosa (A. Richard) C. Wright in Sauvalle, Anal. Acad. Ci. Habana 6 : 249. 1870.  Illustration:  Judd (1995), fig. 26.  Type.  Cuba.  Oriente: Pinal, nr. Santiago de Cuba, May 1844, J. Linden 1778 (holotype, P; isotypes, L (from frag. at P), P, W).

    Twigs glabrous to moderately pubescent.  Leaf blades obovate to elliptic, 1.5-3.5(-4.5) x 0.5-2(-3) cm, usually slightly to moderately recurved, length/width quotient 1.5-3(-3.5); base narrowly to broadly cuneate; apex acute to rounded; margin not revolute apically to clearly so, slightly to strongly revolute basally; midvein usually depressed, at least a few 2o veins per leaf slightly to strongly depressed.  Pedicels glabrous to sparsely pubescent.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Cuba (Prov. Oriente, Sierra de Nipe), in thickets, stream sides, grassy areas, and Pinus cubensis savannas, at ca. 450-800 m elev.  Flowering chiefly March to July.
 

Lyonia glandulosa (A. Richard) Urban var. revolutifolia Judd, J. Arnold Arbor. 62: 402.  1981.  Lyonia glandulosa (A. Richard) Urban subsp. revolutifolia (Judd) Borhidi, Acta Bot. Hung. 29: 189. 1983.  Illustration:  Judd (1995), fig. 26.  Type.  Cuba.  Oriente: Sierra de Moa, pine-barrens, 900 m, 24-27 Jul 1953, Bro. Alain 3418 (holotype, GH; isotype, US).
 

    Twigs slightly to densely pubescent.  Leaf blades elliptic to narrowly so (narrowly obovate), 1-4(-5.5) x 0.3-1(-1.7) cm, usually slightly to strongly recurved; base narrowly to broadly cuneate to rounded; apex acute to rounded; margin slightly to strongly revolute; midvein depressed, at least a few 2o veins per leaf slightly to strongly depressed.  Pedicels sparsely to moderately pubescent.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Cuba (Prov. Oriente, chiefly in Sierra de Micara, Cristal, and Moa, and limonite plateau near Moa, but also few collections from Sierra de Nipe), in  thickets, stream sides, and open pinelands of Pinus cubensis, at ca. 300-1100 m elev.  Flowering probably March or April to late June or early July.
 

Lyonia glandulosa (A. Richard) Urban var. toaensis (Acuña & Roig) Berazaín, Repert. Sp. Nov. 96: 644. 1985.  Lyonia toaensis Acuña & Roig, Contr. Ocas. Mus. Hist. Nat. Col. La Salle 15: 5. 1956.  Illustration:  Judd (1995), fig. 26.  Type.  Cuba.  Oriente: At Laguna Galano, La Alegría, Toa, 2 Jan 1954, Bro. Alain 3853 (holotype, HAC, n.v.; isotypes, GH, NY).
 

    Twigs moderately to densely pubescent.  Leaf blades obovate to widely obovate or orbicular, 2-5 x 1-4.8 cm, ± flat, length/width quotient 0.9-1.8; base cuneate to rounded; apex rounded to truncate; margin usually plane; midvein usually not depressed, the 2o veins not depressed.  Pedicels sparsely pubescent.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Cuba (Prov. Oriente, Pico Galano in Cuchillas de Toa (= Sierra del Frijol), near La Alegría, and Sierra de Imías), in high, dense thickets or moist montane forests, often enveloped in fog, at ca. 1000-1200 m elev.