Sophoclesia nummulariaefolia Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 30. 1851. Type. Colombia [Venezuela], Merida, Moritz 1339 (holotype: B, not seen; frag. NY).Epiphytic or terrestrial shrublets mostly 1.5-4 dm tall, branches pendent to ascendent; stem terete, slender, ribbed, glabrate; twigs subterete, striate and ribbed, moderately short-pilose with white hairs, glabrate. Leaves coriaceous, suborbicular to oblong-ovate, (7-)9-15(-18) x 8-20 mm, base subcordate or rounded, apex rounded or obtuse, margin entire and slightly recurved, sparsely and inconspicuously short-pilose on both surfaces, glabrate, also usually glandular-fimbriate beneath, often on both surfaces; 3(-5)-plinerved from base, midrib and lateral nerves usually weakly impressed above and raised beneath but obscure, reticulate veinlets slightly raised on both surfaces when visible but usually totally obscure; petiole terete, rugose, sometimes striate, 1-2 mm long, puberulous to glabrate. Inflorescence axillary, flowers 1(-2) per axil, usually extending well beyond the leaves; floral bract ovate, obtuse, ca. 0.5 mm long, pilose; pedicel subterete, slightly and gradually swollen distally, (5-)10-18 mm long, glabrous to sparingly pilose, sometimes scattered glandular-fimbriate; bracteoles nearly basal, minute, linear-aristeate, ca. 0.5 mm long, ciliate. Flowers 4-merous, with calyx ca. 2-2.8 mm long; hypanthium obconic to subglobose, 1-1.8 mm diam., pilose to glabrate, glandular-fimbriate; limb suberect, short, ca. 0.5-1 mm long; lobes apiculate, 0.8 mm long, with a tuft of hairs at apex or glabrous; sinuses rounded; corolla submembranous, cylindric-urceolate, terete, 4-6 mm long and 1.5-3 mm diam., sparsely pilose to glabrous, sometimes only tips of lobes pilose, also usually glandular-fimbriate, white to pinkish, the lobes strongly reflexed, narrowly triangular, obtuse, minute, 0.8-1.3 mm long; stamens 4, equal, slightly shorter than the corolla, ca. 5.4-5.5 mm long; filaments seemingly callose-thickened at base, 1.8-3 mm long, either sparsely pilose or glabrous; anthers smooth, 1.8-3.5 mm long; thecae ca. 1-1.5 mm long, the base rounded but sometimes minutely mucronate; tubules ca. 1.6-2.2 mm long, dehiscing by short clefts ca. 0.4 mm long; style about equalling corolla, slightly exserted, glabrous. Berry globose, succulent, ca. (6-)10 mm diam., pilose or glabrous, whitish and translucent or with a violet or lavender tinge to purple.Sphyrospermum roraimae Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 36. 1851. Type. Guyana [Venezuela], Mt. Roraima, Schomburgk 975 (holotype: B, not seen; frag. & photo NY).
Sophoclesia cordifolia (Bentham) Klotzsch var. oophylla Kuntze, Rev. Gen. Pl. 2: 384. 1891. Type. Costa Rica, Angostura, Kuntze 2153 (holotype: NY).
Vaccinium pachycardium Standley, Fieldiana, Bot. 18: 883. 1938. Type. Costa Rica. Cartago: El Muneco, Río Navarro, 1500 m, Standley & Torres 51769 (holotype: US).
Distribution. Nicaragua to Bolivia and east into the Guianas; tropical wet to rainforest, premontane wet and rainforest, montane and elfin forest, at 200-1800(-3500) m altitude.
Cultivated: ACAD, E, HEID, U.
