Ericaceae-Neotropical Blueberries
James L. Luteyn and Paola Pedraza-Peñalosa
The New York Botanical Garden

PSAMMISIA

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Key to Species

 

     Psammisia consists of approximately 70 species ranging from Costa Rica, southward into Bolivia, and eastward to French Guiana and Trinidad.

 

PSAMMISIA Klotzsch, Linnaea 24: 42.  1851;  Smith, Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 28: 384-406.  1932;  Luteyn, Opera Bot. 92: 109-130.  1987.  Lectotype:  Psammisia falcata (Kunth) Klotzsch.

     Epiphytic or terrestrial shrub.  Leaves alternate, evergreen, petiolate;  blade coriaceous, the venation plinerved or pinnate.  Inflorescence axillary or terminal, racemose or subfasciculate with few to many flowers.  Flowers 5-merous, without odor;  aestivation valvate;  pedicels deciduously bibracteolate;  calyx articulate with the pedicel;  hypanthium short-cylindric or campanulate;  limb erect or spreading;  lobes (2-4)5, ovate or triangular, apiculate or acute;  corolla carnose, subcylindric, elongate urceolate or subglobose, 5-lobed, the lobes triangular and subacute;  stamens (8-)10(-12), equal, from about 1/3 to often nearly as long as the corolla;  filaments equal, distinct or connate, the connectives all laterally or distally 2-spurred, or alternately spurred, or rarely spurs obscure or lacking, when present the spurs either acute and conspicuous or rounded and not very apparent; nthers equal, basifixed, firm, stout with strongly granular thecae, lacking disintegration tissue;  thecae strongly granular;  tubules distinct, 1/4 to about as long as the thecae, dehiscing by elongate introrse clefts;  pollen lacking viscin threads;  ovary inferior, 5-locular;   style filiform and often exserted.  Fruit a leathery, green berry, seemingly never turning blue-black.

Key to Neotropical Species                                                                                               Back to Top

     A key and complete treatment is lacking, but the genus is currently being revised by Luteyn. This on-line version has been modified from Luteyn 1987b and 1996b, along with other of his unpublished notes.

 

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