8. Macleania W. J. HOOKER Icon. Pl. 2: pl. 109 (1837). -- Type: Macleania floribunda HOOKER.
Tyria KLOTZSCH, Linnaea 24: 21 (1851). -- Type: Tyria salapa (BENTHAM) KLOTZSCH
[=Ceratostema salapa BENTHAM].

Reference: YEO, P., Notes on some species of Macleania (Ericaceae). Baileya 15(2): 45--59 (1967).--LUTEYN, J.L., A review of and taxonomic realignments within the neotropical genus Macleania (Ericaceae:Vaccinieae). BioLlania 6:455--465 (1997).

Straggly to compact, epiphytic or terrestrial shrub. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, pinnate or plinerved. Inflorescence axillary or terminal, racemose or subfasciculate with few to many flowers, rarely flowers solitary. Flowers 5-merous, without odor; aestivation valvate; calyx usually articulate with the pedicel, but this sometimes obscure, rarely calyx continuous; hypanthium short- cylindric or campanulate, often angled to conspicuously winged, the wings sometimes protruding beyond the calyx limb as a spur; limb erect and spreading (3--4-) 5-lobed; lobes triangular, subacute; corolla subcylindric or elongate urceolate, the lobes triangular, subacute, sometimes spurred; stamen 10, equal, about one-quarter to nearly equalling the corolla in overall length; filaments distinct or connate, dorsally attached to the anthers near their bases, lacking spurs; anthers stout, lacking disintegration tissue; thecae strongly granular; tubules about as long as the thecae, 1 (probably the result of total fushion from two) or 2 (then laterally connate or distinct, rarely completely distinct), rigid, broadly conical, dehiscing by elongate, distinct or fused clefts; pollen without viscin threads; ovary inferior; style filiform and about as long as the corolla or longer, basally surrounded by an annular or cupuliform nectariferous disc. Fruit a berry; seeds often with a mucilaginous sheath, the embryo sometimes green.

The genus Macleania contains approximately 50 species which range from southern Mexico south along the mountainous highlands into Peru. The center of diversity is western Ecuador.


Key to the Species of Macleania
1a.
Stamen ca 1/2--1/4 the corolla length, the filaments connate, the anther tubules fused to one with one dehiscence pore; calyx sharply angled and usually winged, orangish; corolla angled to ribbed (rarely terete), orangish basally with green throat and lobes, densely white pilose at throat and lobes within; mature berry translucent white.
2a.
Corolla > 30 mm long.
3a.
Corolla, calyx, pedicel, and leaves beneath conspicuously scurffy with reddish-brown glandular fimbriae; calyx continuous with pedicel, the lobes apiculate, to 1 mm long; leaves usually bullate, the base acute to broadly cuneate-attenuate or rounded and short-attenuate; inflorescence a fascicle
..............................................................................M. bullata
3b.
Flowers and leaves glabrous; calyx articulate, the lobes prominent, 1--2 mm long; leaves flat, the base usually rounded and subcordate; inflorescence a short raceme
..............................................................................M. macrantha
2b.
Corolla < 30 mm long.
4a.
Inflorescence racemose, 0.3--3.4 (-7) cm long; calyx wings prominent from base of hypanthium to tip of limb, then often elongated distally beyond limb margin as spurs which are sometimes longer than the calyx lobes.
5a.
Calyx wing spurs conspicuously longer than calyx lobes, sometimes 3--7 x 3 mm, and conspicuously nerved; bracteoles usually medial to apical along pedicel; corolla lobes never spurred; leaves subsessile, hardly petiolate, amplexicaul
...................................................................M. pentaptera
5b.
Calyx wing spurs only slightly longer than calyx lobes, equal to lobes, or not elongated beyond lobes; bracteoles apical or basal along pedicel; corolla lobes sometimes spurred; leaves short-petiolate, clasping or amplexicaul.
6a.
Bracteoles apical (subtending calyx) to subapical; leaves pinnately nerved, essentially sessile and amplexicaul or clasping, or short-petiolate; inflorescence short-pilose in some part; corolla lobes sometimes spurred.
7a.
Corolla short-pilose, the lobes never spurred; calyx wing spurs usually equal to or less than calyx lobe length; leaf bases rounded to cordate, subsessile or rarely short-petiolate, clasping to amplexicaul; endemic to west-central Ecuador (Pichincha south to Cañar)
..............................................M. rotundifolia
7b.
Corolla usually glabrous but sometimes short-pilose, the lobes conspicuously spurred; calyx wing spurs elongated beyond calyx lobes; leaf bases cordate, short-petiolate, amplexicaul; northwest Ecuador (Esmaraldas and Lita, Imbabura) to Panama
..............................................M. smithiana
6b.
Bracteoles basal; leaves plinerved and always short-petiolate; inflorescence glabrous; corolla lobes never spurred.
8a.
Corolla 15 mm long with thin diameter; calyx 4--5 mm long; inflorescence thin, delicate; leaves elliptic to suborbicular, the base rounded not subcordate, the surfaces not punctate, the margin often revolute; vicinity of Maldonado (Carchi Prov.) at ca 1500 m altitude
..............................................M. maldonadensis
8b.
Corolla 15--25 mm long with thick diameter; calyx 5.5--9 mm long; inflorescence coarse, stout; leaves ovate to oblong- or elliptic-ovate, the base usually subcordate, the surfaces punctate, the margin flat; widespread in W Ecuador at ca 1800--2500 m altitude
..............................................M. cordifolia
4b.
Inflorescence fasciculate or flowers solitary; calyx wings usually not conspicuously extended along the hypanthium or limb, not conspicuously elongated as spurs beyond the limb or lobes (except somewhat in M. ericae ).
9a.
Leaves pinnately nerved, the base rounded and deeply cordate, usually amplexicaul
.....................................................................M. ericae
9b.
Leaves usually plinerved (pinnately nerved in M. subsessilis ), the base rounded and sometimes subcordate or cuneate, petiolate not amplexicaul.
10a.
Stem strongly and conspicuously winged, the wing to 3 mm broad
............................................................M. alata
10b.
Stem terete to complanate, but not winged
11a.
Leaves linear-lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 2.2-7 x 0.5--1.8 cm
....................................................M. dodsonii
11b.
Leaves ovate-lanceolate to broadly ovate, 1.9--15 x 0.9--7 cm.
12a.
Calyx usually covered with reddish-brown glandular fimbriae (these frequently also on the pedicel and corolla); calyx hypanthium longer than broad and conspicuously longer than the calyx limb, or shorter than the limb.
13a.
Calyx limb essentially truncate, the lobes apiculate to none; corolla usually short-pilose along length without and densely tomentose at throat within; leaves plinerved; E Ecuador (Oriente)
............................M. floribunda
13b.
Calyx limb with lobes conspicuous, 0.2--2 mm long; corolla glabrous without and sparsely pilose at throat within; leaves pinnately nerved; NW Ecuador (Esmeraldas).
14a.
Leaves (4-) 8--15 cm long, pinnately nerved; calyx 9--10 mm long, the hypanthium 2x longer than the limb; pedicels 2.5--4.5 mm long
...................M. subsessilis
14b.
Leaves 1.8--9 cm long, plinerved; calyx 3.5--8 mm long, the hypanthium equal to or half as long as the limb; pedicels 3--10 mm long
...................M. tropica
12b.
Calyx hypanthium as long as broad, not conspicuously longer than the calyx limb; calyx (pedicel and corolla) usually without glandular-fimbriae.
15a.
Calyx lobes conspicuous, deltate, to 1 mm long; flowers in fascicles of 4--15; corolla 14--20 mm long; leaves small, (2-) 4--8 (-11) x (1.3-) 2.5--4.5 (-6) cm
............................M. stricta
15b.
Calyx lobes apiculate and less than 1 mm long, or nonexistent and calyx limb truncate; flowers in fascicles of 1--3; corolla (16-) 23--25 mm long; leaves larger, (3.5-) 7--14 (-17) x 2--7 (-9) cm
............................M. recumbens
1b.
Stamen 1/2 to about equalling the corolla length, the filaments distinct, the anther tubules two, usually laterally connate nearly to the apex, the tubules two with two dehiscence pores; calyx essentially terete or pentagonal, only sharply angled or winged in M. salapa , reddish or greenish; corolla terete or pentagonal, only sharply angled in M. salapa , red basally with white to yellowish-white tip and lobes, glabrous at throat within; mature berry blue-black.
16a.
Calyx sharply 5-angled (narrowly winged), the lobes elongate, narrowly triangular, 4--9 mm long; bracteoles with 2 circular, concave glands 0.2--0.3 mm diam. at base
.......................................................................................M. salapa
16b.
Calyx terete or bluntly pentagonal, the lobes short-deltate to apiculate, to 2 mm long; bracteoles without glands at base.
17a.
Anther tubules about 1/2 as long as the thecae; leaves suborbicular
..............................................................................M. coccoloboides
17b.
Anther tubules about equalling or slightly longer than the thecae; leaves variously-shaped but not suborbicular.
18a.
Inflorescence fasciculate, the rachis none.
19a.
Leaves elliptic to obovate, broadest above the middle, the base rounded and short-attenuate to cuneate-attenuate, the apex obtuse to rounded; inflorescence 4--8-flowered; calyx hypanthium 10-ribbed; corolla 11--16 mm long; inflorescence densely farinose-pubescent
..........................................................M. farinosa
19b.
Leaves ovate, broadest below the middle, the base usually rounded and subcordate, the apex obtuse to acute; inflorescence 1--3-flowered; calyx hypanthium terete; corolla 15--23 mm long; inflorescence short-pilose
..........................................................M. mollis
18b.
Inflorescence racemose, the rachis short to long, 0.3--20 cm long.
20a.
Bracts at base of inflorescence numerous, persistent, broadly oblong to broadly ovate or narrowly triangular, 6--15 mm long.
21a.
Calyx limb 5--7 mm long; rachis 3--14 (-24) cm long; inflorescence bracts oblong, the apex rounded, 6--8 mm long; leaves essentially glabrous beneath; inflorescence (including pedicel, calyx, and corolla) soft-pilose
.................................................M. loeseneriana
21b.
Calyx limb to 4 mm long; rachis 0.6--2.5 (-4) cm long; inflorescence bracts broadly ovate with the apex rounded to short-acuminate or narrowly triangular with the apex long acuminate, 6--15 mm long; leaves beneath and inflorescence glabrous or pubescent.
22a.
Inflorescence bracts narrowly triangular, long-acuminate, 8--15 mm long, the tips often conspicuously reflexed
........................................M. benthamiana
22b.
Inflorescence bracts broadly ovate, rounded to short-acuminate, usually less than 6 mm long, the tips usually not reflexed
........................................M. rupestris
20b.
Bracts at base of inflorescence few, deciduous, usually broadly ovate to ovate-deltate, less than 4 mm long.
23a.
Leaves oblong-obovate, long-attenuate at the base
.................................................M. poortmannii
23b.
Leaves ovate, elliptic, or oblong, rarely obovate, rounded to cuneate at the base.
24a.
Flowers and leaves persistently and densely short-hirsute; inflorescence (subfasciculate ?) to short-racemose, the rachis 0.3--0.5 cm long; corolla 10--14 mm long; leaves mostly oblong-elliptic, 1--3 x 0.8--2 cm
........................................M. hirtiflora
24b.
Flowers and leaves usually glabrous, or the corolla or leaves beneath sometimes pilose but glabrate; inflorescence racemose, the rachis 1--1.5 cm long; corolla 13--19 mm long; leaves ovate, elliptic, or oblong, rarely obovate, 4--8 x 2--5 cm
........................................M. rupestris