Cavendishia mutisiana Cuatrecasas, Trab. Mus. Nac. Ci. Nat., Ser. Bot. 26: 5, fig. 1.  1933.  Type.  Colombia.  Tolima:  Cordillera Central, Cuesta del Sacrificio, between Ibagué and Nevado del Tolima, 2000 m, 17 May 1932 (fl), Cuatrecasas 2668 (holotype: MA, photo NY neg. 9170).

    Terrestrial or epiphytic (sometimes rather scandent) shrub;  mature branches complanate and bluntly angled, striate, glabrous, brownish;  twigs coarsely flattened, striate, glabrous, brownish.  Leaves lanceolate, ovate, oblong, or elliptic, 10.5-21 x 4-7 cm, basally cuneate, obtuse, rounded, or slightly subcordate, apically long- to short-acuminate, essentially glabrous;  5(-7)-plinerved from near base, midrib thickened and raised through proximal 5-10 mm otherwise impressed above and raised beneath, lateral nerves impressed above and raised beneath, veinlets slightly raised or impressed above but obscure beneath;  petioles subterete, rugose, 5-6.8 mm long and 1.8-2.5 mm diam., glabrous or sparsely pilose.  Inflorescence 6-12-flowered.;  rachis stout, nodes congested, subterete, glabrous, 0.6-1.5 cm long and ca. 4 mm diam.;  floral bracts smooth, oblong or ovate, 25-40 x 15-22 mm, apically rounded, marginally scarious, glabrous, "red" when fresh;  pedicels cylindric but coarsely angled, striate, glabrous, 5-10 mm long, with scattered glandular fimbriae along length;  bracteoles basal, oblong or ovate, 3-7 x 1.5 mm, apically obtuse or acute, marginally scarious and glandular-fimbriate.  Flowers:  calyx 8-11 mm long;  hypanthium subcylindric, more or less pentagonal, 3-5 mm long and ca. 3-4 mm diam., basally truncate, or slightly and inconspicuously apophysate, puberulent;  limb erect or campanulate, 4.5-7 mm long, puberulent, with or without glandular fimbriae;  lobes narrowly lanceolate or oblong-triangular, 3-4.5 x 1.5-2 mm, curling or twisitng around base of the style after anthesis, marginally glandular-fimbriate;  sinuses obtuse;  corolla cylindric, glabrous or puberulent, (19-)21-29 mm long and 4-6 mm diam., "white" or "rose" when fresh, lobes triangular, obtuse, ca. 1 mm long;  stamens ca. 22-23 mm long;  filaments puberulous ventrally, alternately (1.5-)3-3.5 mm and 5-7 mm long;  anthers alternately 20-21 mm and 16-17.3 mm long;  thecae 5-6 mm long;  style subequal to corolla.  Berry not seen.

    Distribution (Map).  Endemic to Colombia, in the Cordillera Central of Quindío, Risaralda, and Tolima Depts., in forest, at elevations of 1000-3200 m.  Rare and endangered.

    Local name.  uvito (Tolima).