Flower and Flower Buds Note: a) the base of the urceolate corolla is filled with red-orange nectar visible through the wall of the corolla! b) corolla has both 5 lobes and 5 lobules alternating with each other c) stigma is darker green than the style, and is exserted beyond the dehisced anthers The flower bud on the right shows the corolla emerging from the calyx. The flower bud in the center has a closed calyx, and so is a younger bud.   (Photo by T. Mione in Connecticut, accession Leiva 138 = Mione 535)

Flower Development At Anthesis Note how distal end of corolla is not revolute when flower begins to open (left), but becomes revolute (right). Only the flower on the right has dehisced anthers. Units along top of photo are mm. (Photo by T. Mione, flowers on glass to prevent shadow, in laboratory of Gregory J. Anderson).

Fruit Mione, Leiva & Yacher 641 More photos of this species can be seen in Sagástegui Alva et al. (2003, page 228).

     Erect perennial shrub to 1 m high; glabrate.   Leaves ovate, acute, blade to 6.5 cm long by 4.5 cm wide; entire or less commonly sinuate-dentate or toothed with no more than 3 teeth per margin; the upper surface bright green.   Inflorescence usually 1-2 (-4) flowered (sometimes branched on cultivated plants from seed of Leiva 138 but not mentioned in the protologue nor shown in the lectotype).   Peduncle 4-9 mm long; green; terete.   Pedicel 7-16 mm long; always longer than peduncle to which it is attached; green; terete.   Flowers nodding from 45 o below horizontal to pendent.   Flower buds triangular when viewed perpendicular to bud's length.   Flowering calyx shiny green abaxially; 18-22 mm diam.; lobe radius 9.5-10 mm; sinus radius 3-5 mm.   Corolla, tube urceolate; limb completely and outwardly recurbed and 10-lobed as shown in the bottom left of the lectoype illustration below; 8-10 mm long; 12-14.5 mm diameter; whitish to pale yellow; remaining open at night.   Base of the flower filling with orange-red nectar visible through the corolla.   Stamens (not including expanded base) 14-15 mm long; exerted beyond corolla 7-9 mm.   Filaments, slender part pubescent on basal half; the hairs purple, branched with up to 4 termini; the hairs to 0.7 mm long.   Anthers, undehisced 2.6-3.0 mm long X 2.0-2.2 mm wide; dehisced 2-2.3 mm long.   Style 13.8-15.7 mm long.   Stigma exserted beyond anthers to 5 mm.   Ovules 118-181 ( n = 3 ovaries) per ovary.   Mature berries red according to collector, orange in greenhouse and photo above.   Description based on living plants of Leiva 138 (provided by S. Leiva, A. Sagástegui A. and M. O. Dillon).   Chromosome number n = 12 (Mione unpublished, meiosis of anthers from plants grown from seeds of Leiva 138).   Local name. Uses.

     Known only from Peru, Department La Libertad, altitude usually 2,900-3,500 m. Flowering Dec., Jan, Feb., May, June. Roadsides, rock walls, and rocky areas.   

* Province not mentioned on specimen, added by Tom Mione. On a map Mione sees Huamachuco, not the spelling on the herbarium specimen (Humachuco).
** Lowest and highest altitudes recorded.

Below: Lectotype (scanned at 200dpi):