Lyonia octandra (Swartz) Grisebach, Fl. Brit. W. Indian Is. 142. 1859.  Andromeda octandra Swartz, Prodr. 73. 1788. Xolisma octandra (Swartz) Small, N. Amer. Fl. 29(1): 69. 1914.  Illustration:  Judd (1995), fig. 17.  Type.  Jamaica, probably collected in May, 1786, on trip to Blue Mountain Peak (see Stearn, 1980), Swartz s.n. (n.v.).  Images:  Bark.  Habit.

        Evergreen shrub to moderate-sized tree to ca. 11 m tall, often densely branched, and with brownish or gray bark with long, sinuous, vertical furrows, often somewhat shredding; twigs moderately ridged, slender, sparsely lepidote, otherwise glabrous or extremely sparsely pubescent; buds ovoid, 0.6-2 x 0.5-1.3 mm.  Leaf blades elliptic to ovate or slightly obovate, 2.5-6.5(-11) x 1-3.5(-4.5) cm, ± flat, coriaceous, ca. 0.23-0.31 mm thick; base narrowly cuneate to rounded; apex acute to acuminate, rounded, or truncate; margin plane to slightly revolute, apical portion entire to very obscurely toothed, basal portion entire; venation brochididromous, 3° veins ± reticulate; adaxial surface lepidote but scales usually quickly deciduous, sparsely to densely pubescent on basal portion of midvein, with 3° and higher order veins obscure to visible, usually not depressed; abaxial surface sparsely to moderately lepidote, otherwise glabrous, the 3° and higher order veins ± flat, slightly and laxly reticulate to obscure, the 2° veins slightly raised to obscure; scales rust colored, becoming whitish with age, deciduous to persistent, ca. 0.17 mm in diameter, entire to slightly irregular; petiole 2.5-7 mm long, lepidote, otherwise adaxially pubescent; flower buds ± intermixed with vegetative buds.  Inflorescences fasciculate, ca. 3- to 10-flowered; pedicels clearly articulated with calyx, slender, 1.5-4 mm long; floral bracts to ca. 1.5 mm long.  Flowers 4-merous; calyx lobes triangular, with acuminate apices, 0.5-1.1 x 0.5-0.8 mm, adaxial side sparsely pubescent, especially near apex, abaxial side lepidote, otherwise glabrous; corolla urceolate, white, 2.5-4 x 1.5-2.5 mm, abaxially sparsely lepidote; filaments roughened, 1-2.5 mm long, unappendaged or with spurs to ca. 0.1 mm long near anther-filament junction; anthers 0.4-0.9 mm long; ovary lepidote, otherwise pubescent, placentae ± subapical.  Capsules short-ovoid, 2.5-4.3 x 2-3 mm, slightly lepidote, otherwise sparsely pubescent, especially near base, the pale, very thick sutures separating as unit from adjacent valves; seeds 1.4-1.8 mm long.

        Distribution.  Endemic to Jamaica (Blue Mountains), in cloud forests, "montane mist forest," or thickets on high peaks, at (1230-)1450-2250 m elev.  Flowering mainly June to August.