Macleania pentaptera Hoerold var. longicalyx Gilli, Feddes Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 94: 315. 1983. Type. Ecuador. Pichincha: Tandapi, 1500 m, 21 Jun (fl), Gilli 193 (holotype, W).Terrestrial shrub with branches to 3 m long; stem terete, striate, glabrous; twigs terete to subterete, striate, glabrous to densely puberulent. Leaves coriaceous, subsessile and amplexicaul, ovate to elliptic-ovate, (3-)7-14.5 x (2-)3.5-9 cm, base rounded and deeply cordate, the auricles imbricate, apex obtuse to rounded, sometimes broadly acute, glabrous or puberulent along veins beneath; pinnately nerved (to weakly plinerved) with ca. 3-5 lateral nerves arising from the base to about midway up, midrib thickened proximally, impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, lateral nerves plane to weakly impressed above and raised and conspicuous beneath, reticulate veinlets plane to slightly raised above and slightly raised beneath but inconspicuous; petiole subterete, strongly rugose, glabrous, 2-6 mm long. Inflorescence axillary, racemose 2-7-flowered; rachis subterete, angled, striate, 0.7-3.5(-7) cm long, puberulent or glabrous; floral bract broadly ovate, acuminate, (1-)2.5-3 mm long, puberulent or glabrous, ciliate; pedicel subterete, striate, 9-25 mm long, sometimes elongating to 33 mm after anthesis, puberulent to glabrous, bright red-orange; bracteoles usually midway along pedicel, sometimes nearly basal or apical, often subopposite, ovate, acuminate, 1.5-2 mm long, puberulent or glabrous, ciliate, sometimes bearing at base dorsally 1-2 circular, concave, dark glands. Flowers with calyx continuous to weakly or conspicuously articulate, 11-22 mm long, puberulent or glabrous, bright red-orange; hypanthium cylindric-obconic, 6-10(-12) mm long, conspicuously winged opposite the sinuses, the wings to 3 mm broad, often veined, the base blending into pedicel, the apex of the wings extending 3-7 mm beyond the limb margin and incurved; limb cylindric-spreading, 4-10 mm long including the wings; lobes apiculate, less than 1 mm long; sinuses flat, ciliolate; corolla carnose, cylindric-urceolate, broadest at base and gradually narrowing to apex, strongly pentagonal opposite to lobe tips, 18-24 mm long and ca. 11 mm basal diam. when fresh, puberulent or glabrous without, densely white pilose at throat within, orange in basal half becoming green above, the lobes spreading, triangular, bluntly acute, 1.5-2 mm long; stamen 10-12.5 mm long; filaments connate into a tube 2.5-3.5 mm long, glabrous; anthers 8-11 mm long; thecae 6-7 mm long; tubules fused into one, 2.5-4 mm long, dehiscing by clefts 2.5-4 mm long; style about as long as corolla, glabrous. Berry spherical, translucent whitish-green, ca. 20 mm diam., puberulent.
Distribution. Endemic to Ecuador; primary rainforest and premontane wet forest at 150-2100 (-4000 ?) m altitude.
Local names: gualicón, hualicón
Uses: fruit very sweet, agreeable, edible.
Cultivated: ABG, E, NCSC, NY.