Psammisia leucostoma Bentham ex Meissner, Martius Fl. Brasil. 7: 127. 1863. Chupalon leucostoma (Bentham ex Meissner) O. Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 384 (1891). Type. Brazil. Amazonas: Caatingas near Panuré, along Rio Vaupes, Oct 1852 (fl), Spruce 2465 (holotype, K; isotypes, GH, K, NY, P).Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub with branches arching to 3-6 m long; stem terete, slender, glabrous; twigs subterete, bluntly complanate, ribbed, nitid, sometimes puberulous when very young. Leaves coriaceous, stiff, often erect on horizontal branches, elliptic, oblong-elliptic, to ovate-lanceolate, (7.5-)10-24(-34) x 3-7.5(-16) cm, base broadly to narrowly cuneate or rounded and then sometimes short- or long-attenuate, apex acuminate to abruptly short-acuminate, margin entire and slightly revolute, lamina glabrous, but bearing deciduous, minute, glandular fimbriae beneath; 3(-5) -plinerved from near the base, midrib and lateral nerves usually joined in the proximal 1-3(-5) cm then impressed above and conspicuously raised beneath, reticulate veinlets slightly raised or nearly plane on both surfaces; petiole subterete, 5-15(-24) mm long, essentially glabrous. Inflorescence axillary, short-racemose to corymbiform by elongation of lower pedicels, congested distally, 8-20-flowered, surrounded at the base by a series of ovate, acute bracts to 4 mm long, essentially glabrous although bearing minute, glandular fimbriae in all parts, often also scaley when young and then covered with a whitish exudate which may persist to anthesis; rachis subterete, 0.7-5(-6) cm long; floral bract triangular, acute, 1.5-4 mm long, marginally deciduously, glandular-fimbriate; pedicel subterete, thin, striate, sometimes subflexuous, 20-40(-55) mm long, becoming thick and stout post-anthesis, orange to red; bracteoles located below middle, ovate, acuminate, toca. 2 mm long, marginally glandular-fimbriate. Flowers with calyx 4-9 mm long, orange to red; hypanthium campanulate, 2-4 mm long, the base rounded to narrowed and truncate; limb 2-5 mm long; lobes 3, 4 or 5, often in a state of fusion, ovate, apiculate, 1-3 mm long; sinuses acute; corolla carnose, subcylindric or elongate-urceolate, once-constricted near the apex, therefore the throat short, (18-)27-35 mm long, deep orange to bright red at base and white above constriction, the lobes spreading, oblong, acute, 2-4 mm long, white; stamen 9-15 mm long; filaments distinct or slightly connate at base, (2-)3-6 mm long, slightly pilose marginally distally, the connectives conspicuously alternately 2-spurred (sometimes all spurred, but the alternate ones more slender and more obviously spurred), the spurs subacute; anthers 9-10 mm long; thecae 5-7 mm long; tubules distinct or laterally connate toward base,ca. 2-3 mm long; style long-exserted, the exserted portion often purlpe. Immature berry subspherical, to 12 mm diam., crowned by persistent calyx limb.
Distribution. Widespread at the Andes/Amazonia ecotone in Brazil and the Guianas, to Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia; (in Amazonia: white sand savannas), premontane moist, wet and rainforest, to montane rainforest and elfin forest, at 520-2900 m altitude.
Cultivated: E.