Comarostaphylis longifolia (Benth.) Klotzsch

  • Family

    Ericaceae (Magnoliophyta)

  • Scientific Name

    Comarostaphylis longifolia (Benth.) Klotzsch

  • Primary Citation

    Linnaea 24: 75. 1851

  • Basionym

    Arctostaphylos longifolia Benth.

  • Common Names

    madroñillo, tepemezquite, madroño

  • Description

    Description: Erect evergreen shrubs to small trees 1-8(-15) m tall, to 3 dm in diam., often many stems from a common base; bark peeling or shredding, orange-brown on young branches to brown or grayish-brown on main stems; young twigs densely long hirsute, the trichomes stalked, swollen-headed, glandular, to nearly 4 mm long. Leaves coriaceous, lance-elliptic to elliptic to oblong-ovate, plane to slightly revolute, 4.5-19.9 x 1.1-7.5 cm, basally cuneate, apically (obtuse-) acute (-acuminate), marginally serrate-dentate, sometimes coarsely so, upper surface pubescent, often with glandular trichomes, becoming less so with age, lower surface tomentulose to densely tomentose, with scattered glandular trichomes, especially along the midrib; petioles 6-18 mm long, densely long glandular hirsute as on young twigs. Inflorescences paniculate, often much-branched, 5.1-20.9 cm long, densely flowered, viscid due to extremely dense glandular pubescence, branches subtended by often elongate leaf-like bracts; rachis, pedicels, bracts, bracteoles, and calyx glandular hirsute; floral bracts linear-lanceolate to lance-ovate, plane to slightly navicular or carinate, 0.5-2.4 x to 0.4 cm, acuminate, ciliate; pedicels 4-12 mm long; bracteoles basal to submedial, lanceolate, 3-7 mm long. Flowers: calyx lobes triangular to long-triangular, 2.8-3.3 x 1.8-2.5 mm, acute to acuminate, ciliate, green to pink or red; corollas 6-9 x 4-6 mm, glabrous to pubescent, greenish-white, white, light yellow or cream, the lobes 1.1-1.7 x 2.1-2.5 mm: stamens 3.2-4.2 mm long; filaments 2.8-3.9 mm long, densely villous; anthers 1.2-1.6 x 0.6-1 mm, the spurs 0.6-1 mm long; ovary glabrous to villous; style 3.1-4.6 mm long, glabrous. Fruit red when immature, dark purple to black at maturity, 5-7 mm in diam.; seeds 2.2-2.7 x 1.1-1.4 mm, surface reticulate.

    Distribution: Endemic to Mexico, to the higher slopes of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt from W Mexico (state) through Guerrero, Michoacán, and Jalisco, W as far as Nevado de Colima, in Quercus-Pinus, Pinus, and Abies religiosa forests, at elevations of (1700-)2200-2900 m. Flowering (Feb-)Mar-Nov(-Dec): fruiting Nov-Jun.

    Illustration: Diggs (1995), fig. 14.

    Type: Mexico. Michoacán: Angangueo, 1839[?], Hartweg 338 (holotype: K, photo, Diggs neg. 20; isotypes: CGE(2), G, L, LE, NY, photo, NY neg. 9760, P, W(3)).

  • Floras and Monographs

    Comarostaphylis longifolia (Benth.) Klotzsch: [Article] Luteyn, James L., et al. 1995. Ericaceae, Part II. The Superior-Ovaried Genera (Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Rhododendroideae, and Vaccinioideae P.P.). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 66: 560.