Evergreen, low to erect, often densely branched shrub to medium-sized tree to 1.5-7 m tall, with gray to brownish, longitudinally furrowed bark; twigs slightly to moderately angled, slender, sparsely lepidote, otherwise usually sparsely pubescent; buds ovoid, 0.7-1.7 x 0.7-1.1 mm.  Leaf blades elliptic to ovate or occasionally obovate, 0.8-5(-6.8) x 0.4-2(-3) cm, ± flat to recurved or slightly concave, coriaceous, ca. 0.2-0.4 mm thick; base rounded to narrowly cuneate; apex acute to rounded or truncate (slightly acuminate); margin plane to slightly revolute toward petiole, apical portion clearly to obscurely and irregularly toothed to entire, basal portion sinuous or entire to obscurely and irregularly toothed; venation brochidodromous, 3° veins ± reticulate; adaxial surface lepidote but scales usually quickly deciduous, sparsely to moderately pubescent on basal portion of midvein, with veins obscure to faintly visible and reticulate, not depressed (midvein and/or few 2° veins slightly depressed); abaxial surface moderately lepidote, otherwise densely (sparsely) pubescent, the 3° and higher order veins ± flat, obscure to occasionally slightly and laxly reticulate, the 2° veins obscure to very occasionally slightly raised and visible; scales rust colored but becoming whitish with age, usually persistent, ca. 0.08-0.2 mm in diameter, erose to entire; petiole 1-7.5 mm long, lepidote, otherwise pubescent adaxially; flower buds ± intermixed with vegetative buds.  Inflorescences fasciculate, ca. 2- to 15-flowered; pedicels clearly articulated with calyx, slender, 2-10(-13) mm long, lepidote, otherwise glabrous to moderately pubescent; bracteoles ± opposite, basal to positioned on basal 1/3 of pedicel, narrowly triangular, ca. 0.7-2 mm long; floral bracts to ca. 2 mm long.  Flowers (4-) 5- (6-)merous; calyx lobes triangular, with acuminate to occasionally acute apices, 0.7-2 X 0.4-1.1 mm, adaxial side slightly pubescent, especially near apex, abaxial side lepidote, otherwise glabrous to pubescent; corolla cylindrical or urceolate-cylindrical, white or sometimes slightly pink tinged, 3-7 x 2-3.5(-4) mm, abaxially sparsely lepidote; filaments roughened, 2.5-4 mm long, unappendaged; anthers 0.7-1.5 mm long; ovary lepidote, otherwise pubescent, placentae ± subapical.  Capsule ovoid to ellipsoid, 3-6.5 x 2.5-4.5(-5) mm, slightly lepidote, otherwise very sparsely to moderately pubescent, especially near base, the pale, much thickened sutures separating as unit from adjacent valves; seeds 2-3 mm long.

    Distribution.  Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, in low-elevation pine forests and thickets of Massif de la Selle, Massif du Nord, Sierra de Baoruco, and Cordillera Central, at 100-1700(-1800) m elev. in Hispaniola; and dry rocky scrub to low forest on upper slopes and summit of Cerro Mariquita of Sierra Bermeja in southwestern Puerto Rico.
 

 Key to the Varieties of Lyonia truncata

1.  Corollas 3-4.5(-5) mm long, urceolate-cylindrical; anthers 0.7-1
     mm  long; pedicels 2-5 mm long; capsules 3-4.5 mm long; abaxial
     surface of calyx glabrous to very pubescent; Sierra Bermeja,
     Puerto Rico ............................................................ var. proctorii.
1.  Corollas 4-7 mm long, ± cylindrical; anthers 1-1.5 mm long;
     pedicels 2.5-10(-13) mm long; capsules (3-)4-6.5 mm long;
     abaxial surface of calyx glabrous; Hispaniola.
    2.  Leaves 0.8-3.5(-4) cm long, held erectly, slightly concave to lax
        and ± flat, sometimes slightly recurved; shrub to 2.5(-3) m tall,
        often densely branched; Sierra de Baoruco and Massif de la
        Selle, ca. 400-1800 m elev. ................................. var. truncata.
    2.  Leaves (2.5-)3-5(-6.8) cm long, more spreading, ± flat to
         recurved; shrub to small tree to 3-7 m tall, branches more open;
         Cordillera Central and Massif du Nord, ca. 100-1250 m
         elev............................................................ var. montecristina.
 

Lyonia truncata Urban var. truncata.  Xolisma truncata (Urban) Small, N. Amer. Fl. 29(1): 70. 1914.  Illustration:  Judd (1995), fig. 12.  Type.  Dominican Republic.  Barahona [Pedernales]: nr. dry Arroyo, 400 m, Apr 1912, Fuertes 1528 (holotype, B n.v., destroyed;  frag. of holotype, NY;  isotypes, F, GH, K, L, NY, P, US, W).  Image:  Habit.
 

Lyonia tippenhaueri Urban, Symb. antill. 8: 515. 1920.  Type.  Haiti.  Port-au-Prince, Thebaud, Auslauf des Morne Brouet, 1600 m, Sep 1919, W. Buch 1716 (holotype, B n.v., destroyed;  isotypes, GH, IJ).

Lyonia haitiensis Urban, Symb. antill. 8: 514. 1920.  Type.  Haiti.  Port-au-Prince, Camp Franc, 1800 m [actually 1500 m], Aug 1917, W. Buch 1408 (holotype, B n.v., destroyed;  isotypes, GH, IJ).

Lyonia furcyensis Urban, Repert. Sp. Nov. 18: 193. 1922.  Type.  Haiti.  Massif de la Selle, vic. of Furcy, 1300 m, 26 May-15 Jun 1920, E. L. Leonard 4742 (holotype, B n.v., destroyed;  isotypes, NY, US).

Lyonia brachycarpa Urban & Ekman in Urban, Ark. Bot. 20A: 34. 1926.  Type.  Haiti.  Massif de la Selle, ridge between Morne Tranchant and Morne Brouet, 1500-1600 m, 27 Jul 1924, Ekman H1151 (holotype, S;  isotypes, LL n.v., S, US).

Lyonia plumeri Urban & Ekman in Urban, Ark. Bot. 21A: 53. 1927.  Type.  Haiti.  Massif de la Selle, group Crête-à-Piquants, Port-au-Prince, nr. Desroziers, 1100 m, 19 Apr 1926, Ekman H5881 (holotype, S;  isotypes, NY, S, US).
 

    Distribution.  Endemic to Hispaniola (Massif de la Selle and Sierra de Baoruco), in  Pinus occidentalis forests and thickets, at (400-)900-1700(-1800) m elev.  Flowering chiefly late February to June.
 

Lyonia truncata Urban var. montecristina (Urban & Ekman) Judd, J. Arnold Arbor. 62: 344. 1981.  Lyonia montecristina Urban & Ekman in Urban, Ark. Bot. 24A: 33. 1932.  Xolisma elongata Sleumer, Repert. Sp. Nov. 36: 271. 1934.  Lyonia elongata (Sleumer) Jiménez, Rhodora 62: 237. 1960.  Lyonia truncata Urban subsp. montecristina (Urban & Ekman) Borhidi, Acta Bot. Hung. 29: 1988. 1983.  Illustration:  Judd (1995), fig. 12.  Type.  Dominican Republic.  Cordillera Central, prov. de Monti Cristi [Dajabon], N of Restauración, ca. 700 m elev., 4 Jun 1926, Ekman H6249 (holotype, S;  isotypes, IJ, NY, US).  Images:  Habit.  Flowers.

    Evergreen, erect shrub to medium-sized tree to 3-7 m tall, with branching open and lax to rigidly ascending in vigorous young shoots; internodes near midpoint of branches of previous year 0.5-1.8 cm long (ave. 0.8-0.9), longer in rapidly growing branches.  Leaf blades (2.5-)3-5(-6.8) x 0.7-2(-3) cm, ± flat to recurved; margin plane to slightly revolute toward petiole, apical portion obscurely and irregularly toothed to sinuous or entire; petiole 2-7.5 mm long.  Flowers on pedicels 3-8 mm long.  Calyx lobes 1-2 x 0.5-1.1 mm, abaxial surface glabrous; corolla ± cylindrical, 4.5-7 x 2-3.5(-4); filaments 3-4 mm long, anthers 1-1.5 mm long.  Capsules ovoid to ellipsoid, 4-6.5(-7) x (2.5-)3-4.5(-5) mm.

    Distribution.  Dominican Republic and Haiti (Massif du Nord and Cordillera Central), in  low-elevation Pinus occidentalis forests and thickets, at 100-1200 m elev.  Flowering chiefly March through May.
 

Lyonia truncata Urban var. proctorii Judd, J. Arnold Arbor. 71: 129. 1990.  Type: Puerto Rico.  Mpio. Cabo Rojo, Sierra Bermeja, Barrio Llanos Costa, upper slopes and summit of Cerro Mariquita, 250-301 m elev., 11 Oct 1987, G. R. Proctor & P. McKenzie 44010 (holotype, FLAS;  isotypes, Herb. Dept. of Nat. Res., Puerta de Tierra, P.R.).  Image:  Fruits.

    Evergreen erect shrub to ca. 1.5 m tall.  Leaf blades elliptic to ovate, 0.9-4.5 x 0.4-2.3 cm, ± flat, coriaceous; margin plane to slightly revolute toward petiole, apical portion clearly to obscurely and irregularly toothed to entire; petiole 2-6.5 mm long.  Flowers on pedicels 2-5 mm long.  Calyx lobes 0.7-1.6 x 0.4-0.9 mm, abaxial surface glabrous to very pubescent (near base); corolla urceolate-cylindrical, 3-4.5(-5) x 2-3(-3.5) mm; filaments 2.5-3.5 mm long, anthers 0.7-1 mm long.  Capsule ovoid, 3-4.5 x 2.5-4 mm.

    Distribution.  Endemic to Puerto Rico, along the upper slopes and summit of Cerro Mariquita of the Sierra Bermeja (Mpio. Cabo Rojo), in dry rocky scrub to low forest on chert, at 250-301 m elev.  Flowering in October.