Agapetes interdicta (Hand.-Mazz.) Sleumer in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 70: 106. 1939

Tong, Yi-Hua, Guo, Xiang-Long, Wang, Bing-Mou, Wang, Zi & Guo, Yong-Jie, 2024, Two new varieties of Agapetes (Ericaceae) from Xizang, China, PhytoKeys 249, pp. 1-11 : 1-11

1. Agapetes interdicta (Hand.-Mazz.) Sleumer in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 70: 106. 1939 .

≡ Pentapterygium interdictum Hand.-Mazz. in Anz. Kaiserl. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math. - Naturwiss. Kl. 60: 186. 1923. Type: China, Yunnan, above Schutsche on the Taron [Dulongjiang River, upper course of the Irrawaddy], 2400–2800 m elev., 9 Jul 1906, H. F. v. Hand. - Mazz. 9465 (holotype: W, barcode no. WU 0044070, image!; isotypes: W, image!, E, barcode no. E 0078234, image!).

= Agapetes interdicta var. stenoloba (W. E. Evans) Sleumer in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 70: 106. 1939. ≡ Pentapterygium interdictum var. stenolobum W. E. Evans in Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 15: 207. f. 1 A. 1927. Type: Myanmar, Salween-Kiu Chiang [Dulongjiang River] divide, 3050–3350 m elev., Jul 1924, G. Forrest 25678 (lectotype: E, barcode no. E 00078236, image!, designated here; isoloectotypes: K, barcode no. K 000357906, image!, P, barcode no. P 06672383, image!); remaining syntype: ibid., Oct. 1924, G. Forrest 25802 ( K, barcode no. K 000357907, image!).

Description.

Evergreen shrub, 0.3–0.8 m tall, epiphytic on trees, with inflated root tubers. Twigs angled, 1–3 mm in diam., pubescent and glandular-setose, glabrescent when old. Leaves alternately scattered, often pseudo-whorled; petiole 1–2 mm long, glabrous, glaucous; blades leathery, oblanceolate to elliptic, 2–4.5 × 0.8–2.3 cm, glabrous, mid-veins conspicuously raised on both sides, secondary veins 7–9 pairs, at an angle of 40–50 ° with the mid-vein, conspicuous and raised adaxially, slightly raised abaxially, veinlets conspicuous and raised adaxially, inconspicuous abaxially, base cuneate, with 1 basal gland each side at a distance of 1.5–3 mm away from the junction of blade and petiole, margin slightly revolute when dry, nearly entire, except the apex with 2–3 serrulas on each side, each serrula terminated with a gland, apex acute or apiculate. Inflorescences shortly racemose, 1–3 (– 7) - flowered, often cauline, sometimes also axillary; peduncle 1–7 mm long, puberulent, with 2 or 3 sterile bracts; floral bracts ovate-triangular, ca. 0.7 × 0.6 mm, margin entire, apex acute; pedicels 3–11 (– 13) mm long, densely puberulent, sometimes intermixed scattered shortly glandular setose, apex slightly expanded; bracteoles 2, basal, similar to floral bracts, but smaller, deciduous. Hypanthium glabrous or sparsely pubescent at base; tube 2–4 mm long, 4–5.5 mm wide (including wings), sparsely pubescent, conspicuously winged, wings to 1 mm wide; limb 4.5–6 mm long, glabrous, nearly divided to 2 / 3, lobes narrowly ovate-triangulate to ovate, 4–10 mm long, apex apiculate. Corolla red, rarely yellow-green or yellow, with 4–5 inconspicuous V-shaped veins, tubular, 5 - angled, 1.3–3 (– 3.4) cm long, glabrous; lobes slightly reflexed, greenish or yellow, triangular-subulate to triangular, 2–9 mm long. Stamens 10; filaments flat, 2–5 mm long, glabrous; anthers 1.2–2.6 (– 3.2) cm long, thecae echinate, each locule with a very small appendage at the bottom, appendages 0.2–1.1 mm long, tubules 2–4 × as long as thecae, without spurs on the back. Style slender, as long as the corolla or slightly exerted; stigma truncate; ovary 10 - pseudoloculed, each locule with several ovules; disc glabrous. Fruit stalk densely puberulent; berry ca. 1 cm in diam., subglabrous, with persistent calyx lobes and wings.

Distribution and habitat.

Southeast Xizang and northwest Yunnan of China and north Myanmar. It grows on the tree trunks under evergreen forests at elevations of 2300–2700 (– 2900) m.

Phenology.

Flowering in March to April; fruiting in August.