Andromeda pubescens Poiret in Lamarck, Encycl. Meth. Bot. Suppl. 1: 355. 1810.  Type.  St. Thomas, 1797, Ledru 308 (holotype, P; isotypes, P).

    Evergreen shrub to small tree to 4 m tall; twigs ± moderately angled, slender, sparsely lepidote, otherwise sparsely to densely pubescent; buds ovoid, 1-2 x 0.7-1.3 mm.  Leaf blades elliptic to ovate, 2-8 x 0.9-4.2 cm, ± flat to slightly abaxially curved, coriaceous, ca. 0.3-0.47 mm thick; base cuneate to rounded; apex acuminate, to acute, rounded, or truncate; margin plane to slightly revolute, the apical portion obscurely and irregularly toothed to entire, the basal portion entire to sinuous; venation brochidodromous, 3o veins ± reticulate; adaxial surface lepidote but scales usually quickly deciduous, sparsely to densely pubescent on midvein, especially basal portion, the 3o and higher order veins usually visible, the 2o veins visible, usually not depressed; abaxial surface moderately lepidote, otherwise glabrous to densely pubescent, but usually at least some leaves of shoot with unicellular hairs, the 3o and higher order veins obscure to very slightly raised, not forming dense, fine, raised network, the 2o obscure to slightly raised and visible; scales rust colored, persistent to deciduous, ca. 0.1-0.25 mm in diameter, erose to entire; petiole 3-10 mm long, lepidote, otherwise pubescent adaxially or all around; flower buds ± intermixed with vegetative buds.  Inflorescences fasciculate, 4- to 15-flowered; pedicels clearly articulated with calyx, slender, 4-8.5 mm long, lepidote, otherwise sparsely to densely pubescent; bracts ± opposite, basal or nearly so, narrowly triangular, 0.7-1.6 mm long; floral bracts to ca. 2 mm long.  Flowers 5- or 6-merous; calyx lobes triangular, with acuminate apices, 1-2 x 0.7-1.5 mm, adaxial side glabrous or sparsely pubescent, especially near apex, abaxial side lepidote, otherwise glabrous to sparsely pubescent; corolla cylindrical, white (pink tinged toward mouth), 5-8 x 3.5-5 mm, abaxially sparsely lepidote; filaments roughened, 3-5 mm long, unappendaged or with very small spurs near anther-filament junction; anthers 1-1.8 mm long; ovary lepidote, otherwise pubescent, placentae ± subapical.  Capsules ellipsoid to ovoid, 4-6.5 x 3.5-6 mm, slightly lepidote, otherwise sparsely pubescent, especially near base, the pale, very thick sutures separating as unit from adjacent valves; seeds 1.5-3 mm long.

    Distribution.  Endemic to St. Thomas, in thickets/scrub forest(?), at ca. 250-300 m.  Flowering December through March.