Macleania epiphytica A.C.Sm., Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 28: 439.  1941. Type.  Panama.  Coclé:  North of El Valle de Antón, 1000 m, 23 Jun 1940 (fl), Allen 2171 (holotype, A).

      Epiphytic shrub 0.5-1 m tall, arising from lignotuber;  stems terete, light to dark brown or grayish when dry, glabrous;  bark exfoliating in thin sheetlets, reddish-brown;  twigs bluntly angled but not winged, glabrous or puberulent.  Leaves elliptic, ovate, ovate-elliptic to rarely orbicular, (1.5-)5-8(-10.5) x (1.3-)2-3(-6) cm, basally rounded or broadly obtuse, sometimes very shallowly subcordate, apically obtuse to rounded, marginally entire and slightly thickened, glabrous, lower surface with a dark, circular, concave gland 0.2 mm diam. on either side of midrib base;  5-plinerved, the nerves arising from near the base, the midrib impressed above and prominently raised beneath, the secondary nerves nearly plane to slightly impressed or raised above and moderately prominent but obscure beneath, the reticulate veinlets weakly raised but usually inconspicuous on both surfaces;  petiole terete, thick, rugose, (3-)4-8 mm long, reddish-brown when dry, glabrous or puberulent.  Inflorescences axillary, sessile, fasciculate to short-racemose, (1-)2-4(-7)-flowered, glabrous;  rachis 0-5 mm long, subterete, glabrous;  floral bract minute, triangular to deltate, usually abruptly short-acuminate, 0.5-1.5 mm long, ciliate;  pedicel 5-11 mm long, glabrous, sometimes with a few glandular fimbriae distally at articulation;  bracteole medial to apical (one collection basal), broadly ovate to deltate, acuminate, 0.6-1.3 mm long, provided with 1-2 circular, concave, dark glands ca. 0.2 mm diam. dorsally at base.  Flowers with calyx clearly articulate with pedicel, 4-6 mm long, glabrous;  tube prismatic to cylindric, basally truncate, 2-5 mm long, longer than limb, glabrous, conspicuously winged, the wings ca. 1 mm broad, truncate at base and not extended beyond limb distally;  limb suberect, 1.5-2.5 mm long, conspicuously lobed distally;  lobes triangular to broadly deltate, 0.5-1 mm long;  sinuses narrow, acute to obtuse;  corolla carnose, tubular, slightly contracted apically, bluntly to sharply 5-angled when fresh, 17-20(-22) mm long and basally 3-6 mm diam., glabrous without, the throat densely villous with white hairs within, the lobes deltate to narrowly oblong, bluntly acute, 1.5-3 mm long, bicolorous with the tube bright red to scarlet and the lobes dark green;  stamens 8-9 mm long;  filaments 2.5-3 mm long, distinct or loosely coherent (very rarely connate), glabrous;  connectives often alternately conspicuously shouldered distally;  anthers 6-7.5 mm long;  thecae 3.2-4.5 mm long;  tubule 1, 2.5-3.5 mm long, dehiscing by an oval cleft ca. 2.5 mm long;  style usually exserted 1-3 mm.  Berry spherical, ca. 12 mm diam., translucent white, glabrous;  embryo green.

      Distribution and ecology.  Endemic to and scattered in the mountains of central to far eastern Panama.   Found along the continental divide, in premontane cloud forest to tropical wet forest, at (50-)200-1500 m altitude.  Flowering Jan-Jun and Sep-Nov;  only one specimen has been collected in fruiting, that in Apr.
      Ants have been reported (Knapp et al. 4734) to nest within the swollen stems of this species.

      Macleania epiphytica is characterized by its ovate-elliptic and apically rounded leaves with a thickened margin, few-flowered fasciculate to very short-racemose inflorescences, corolla color, and distinct or loosely coherent staminal filaments.  It is the only species in subgen. Macleania with regularly distinct or loosely coherent filaments (but see discussion under M. stricta).  Populations from tropical lowland forests up to ca. 500 m (-1500), east of the Panama Canal, usually have puberulent twigs and petioles.
      The distinction between Macleania epiphytica (restricted to central Panama) and M. insignis (Mexico to Costa Rica, but not Panama) has been questioned (Wilbur & Luteyn, 1978).  The primary basis for separating the two species has rested upon the separate filaments of M. epiphytica in contrast to the connate filaments of M. insignis.  Very rarely populations and specimens of M. epiphytica in Panama have been encountered with connate or weakly coherent filaments, but separate ones prevail.  Conversely populations and specimens of M. insignis in scattered localities in Mexico and Nicaragua have rarely been encountered with separate filaments.  Therefore, this character is one more of a strong tendency, not an absolute one.  In this treatment I confirm and strengthen Wilbur and Luteyn's (1978) statement that specimens from Panama are reported to have dark green corolla lobes contrasting with reddish or orangish corolla tubes (i.e., bicolorous corollas), while this conspicuous and distinctive color feature is very rarely encountered in M. insignis, where the corolla lobes are typically the same color as the corolla tube.  Therefore, I have chosen to maintain these species as distinct based on leaf and staminal filament tendencies, corolla size and color differences, bracteole position, and the resultant separate geographical ranges.  The relationship of M. epiphytica with M. stricta is discussed under the latter species.
      Two collections (Almeda & McPherson 5990 and McPherson 12218), both from the Alturas de Nique area of the Pirre Massif (Darién Prov.) and both collected on the same day, differ from "typical" M. epiphytica in their smaller (2.7-4 x 1.2-1.9 cm), ovate leaves with bluntly acuminate apices.  They are also the only collection of this species east of the El Llano-Carti road (Panamá Prov.).

      Conservation status.  Macleania epiphytica is infrequently encountered in the premontane continental divide forests of central to eastern Panama.  In central Panama these forests are rapidly disappearing and there I would consider the species is endangered.  The forests of eastern Panama (i.e., Darién Province) are less disturbed, but the species has not been collected much there so its status in uncertain.