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

MYCERINUS

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     Mycerinus is a genus of three species, all endemic to the Venezuelan Guayana Highland area.
MYCERINUS A. C. Smith, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 58: 441.  1931;  Smith, A. C., Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 28: 359.  1932;  Maguire, B., J. A. Steyermark & J. L. Luteyn, Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 29: 175-177.  1978;  Luteyn, J. L., Fl. Venez. Guayana 4: 749-750, figs. 595, 596.  1998.  Type:  Mycerinus sclerophyllus A. C. Smith.

     Terrestrial or epiphytic shrubs.  Leaves alternate, evergreen, petiolate, the blade thick-coriaceous and brittle, margins flat or strongly recurved and with pustular or umbonate glands at lamina base/petiole interface;  venation pinnate.  Inflorescence 2--6-flowered, fasciculate or short-racemose.  Flowers 5-merous;  aestivation valvate; pedicel bibracteolate at apex;  calyx articluate with pedicel;  hypanthium winged over entire length to the tips of and opposite the lobes, its base cuneate;  limb dilated;  lobes thick, incurved;  corolla carnose, cylindric or subcylindric to campanulate- subinfundibuliform;  stamens 10, equal, shorter than the corolla, without spurs;  filaments equal, distinct, stout, glabrous, shorter than anthers;  anthers equal, medifixed, erect, rigid, without disintegration tissue;  thecae finely granular;  tubules equal, shorter than thecae, distinct to base, membranous, dehiscing by introrse oval clefts more than half the tubule length;  connective branching with the two arms continuing to the apex of the tubule;  style stout;  stigma truncate.  Fruit a berry.

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1.  Calyx lobes carinate, not strongly winged, lobes themselves erect not curving
     inwards;  leaf margins flat not recurved;  corollas campanulate-subinfundibuliform;
     petioles (6-)11-18 mm long ..............................................................  M. viridiflorus.
1.  Calyx lobes strongly winged, lobes themselves curving inwards;  leaf margins
     recurved;  corollas cylindric;  petioles 3-8 mm long.
     2.  Leaves oblong, strongly recurved;  filaments glabrous ...............  M. sclerophyllus.
     2.  Leaves ovate to semi-orbicular, moderately recurved;  filaments
          densely ciliate ...........................................................................  M. chimantensis.

    The genus is currently undergoing revision and this on-line version come from James Luteyn's unpublished notes.

 

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