Cavendishia chocoensis A. C. Smith, Amer. J. Bot. 27: 543.  1940.  Type.  Colombia.  Chocó:  Dense forest along ridge in Yeracüí Valley, Corcovada region, upper Río San Juan, 200-275 m, 24-25 Apr 1939 (fl), Killip 35248 (holotype, US, photo NY; isotypes, COL (ster), NY, photo NY neg. 9689).

        Epiphytic shrub with stems to 1.5 m long;  mature branches terete, weakly striate, glabrous, glaucous;  bark reddish-brown;  twigs subterete, glabrous, glaucous, stramineous, sometimes with scattered minute stout glandular fimbriae with heads nearly spherical.  Leaves oblong-elliptic or lance-ovate, (4-)5-15.5 x (1-)3-6.5 cm, basally narrowed and obtuse to broadly rounded, apically caudate-acuminate (acumen to 2.5 cm long), glabrous or midrib sometimes puberulous through proximal 1 cm above, glandular-fimbriate on both surfaces (sometimes very dense and conspicuous);  5-plinerved from near base or inner nerves arising 1 cm up from base, midrib conspicuously raised through proximal 1 cm but impressed distally above, lateral nerves impressed above (sometimes strongly), reticulate veinlets slightly raised or plane above, all veins raised beneath;  petioles terete, rugose 3-7 mm long and 1-2 mm diam., glabrous or puberulent.  Inflorescence 40-60-flowered, the proximal 2 cm without flowers;  rachis subterete, slightly bluntly angled, glabrous or densely shortly white-hirsute, 10-18 cm long and 2 mm diam., the proximal 2-2.5 cm provided with sessile, spherical glands 0.1-0.5 mm diam.;  floral bracts caducous, oblong, ca. 11 x 5 mm, basally subauriculate, apically acute, glabrous, green when fresh;  pedicels subterete, striate, glabrous, 6.5 mm long at anthesis;  bracteoles seemingly lacking.  Flowers:  calyx glabrous or densely shortly white-hirsute, 3.5-4 mm long;  hypanthium cylindric, smooth, 1-3.5 mm long, basally truncate, nonapophysate;  limb erecto-patent or campanulate, 2.5 mm long;  lobes triangular-ovate, 1-1.5 mm long, suberect to connivent after anthesis, glandular callose marginally and over the distal 1/3 of the lamina or eglandular;  sinuses subacute or narrowly obtuse;  corolla subglobose-urceolate to globose-cylindric, contracted at base and throat, membranaceous, 6.5-8 mm long and 5-6 mm diam. at broadest point, glabrous, eglandular, green to green flushed with dark red when fresh, the lobes strongly reflexed and curled at anthesis, deltoid-ovate, obtuse, 1-1.2 mm long;  stamens alternately 5-6.5 mm and 5.2-6.8 mm long;  filaments connate the basal 1.5 mm, densely puberulent on both sides in free portions, alternately 2.5-2.7 mm and 3.1-3.5 mm long;  anthers equal to alternately 3-3.2 mm and 2.6-2.8 mm long;  thecae alternately ca. 1.3 mm and 1 mm long;  tubules equal to or slightly broader than thecae, dehiscing by oval clefts alternately 1.2 mm and 0.8 mm long;  style equaling the coroalla.  Berry ca. 8-9 mm diam.

        Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Colombia, at elevations of 100-2050 m.
     

     Key to the Varieties of Cavendishia chocoensis

    1.  Rachis, pedicels, and calyx glabrous;  calyx hypanthium 1-1.5 mm long;
         calyx lobes suberect after anthesis and glandular ...................  var. chocoensis
    1.  Rachis, pedicels, and calyx densely shortly white-hirsute;  calyx
         hypanthium 2-3.5 mm long; calyx lobes connivent after anthesis and
         eglandular ..................................................................................  var. hirsuta
     

    Cavendishia chocoensis A. C. Smith var. chocoensis.  Images:  Habit. Flowers.

        Rachis, pedicels, and calyx glabrous.  Calyx hypanthium 1-1.5 mm long;  lobes suberect after anthesis, glandular callose marginally and over the distal 1/3 of the lamina.

        Distribution (Map).  Known with certainty only from pluvial forest of the upper Río San Juan-upper Río Atrato region of Chocó Dept., Colombia, at elevations of 100-275 m.  Rare and endangered.
     

    Cavendishia chocoensis A. C. Smith var. hirsuta Luteyn, Opera  Botanica 92: 113,  fig. 3A-F.  1987.  Type.  Colombia.  Chocó:  Ansermanuevo-San José del Palmar road, from Chocó/El Valle border W 10 km towards San José del Palmar, 1524-2050 m, 15 May 1984 (fl), Luteyn et al. 10538 (holotype: JAUM;  isotypes: AAU, CAS, COL, MO, NY).  Image:  Line-drawing.

        Rachis, pedicels, and calyx densely shortly white-hirsute.  Calyx with hypanthium 2-3.5 mm long;  lobes connivent after anthesis, eglandular.

        Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Colombia, near the Choco/El Valle border, in montane forest, at elevations of 1524-2050 m.  Rare and endangered.