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Schultesianthus megalandrus (Dunal) Hunz.Solanaceae - Tomato Family |
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Description. Hemi-epiphyte, often with stems ascending tree trunks and branches, leaves simple, bunched at twig tips, to 6 x 10 cm long, glabrous, thick, entire, elliptic to obovate, apex blunt acute to rounded, minutely punctate below; flowers on short congested inflorescences near twig tips, calyx 1 cm, corolla 3.5-5 cm long, white when fresh, turning cream yellow by third day, fragrant during day; fruit a 2 cm purple-black globose berry. Similar species. Merinthopodium neuranthum: a hemi-epiphyte with purplish-green flowers on long dangling inflorescences. Schultesianthus leucanthus and L. venosus: hemi-epiphytes with longer, narrower white flowers. Bourreria costaricensis: a tree with similarly shaped white flowers (the style is forked). Local distribution. Pacific slope cloud forest and Atlantic slope wet forest down to about 800 m (Río San Gerardo valley, Río Peñas Blancas valley). Habitat. Primary and disturbed cloud forest, wet forest and rain forest. Species range. Mexico to Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. Abundance. Uncommon Phenology. FL: feb, mar, may; FR: jul-aug?
Herbivores. Eutresis dilucida, Eutresis hypereia Pollinators. Bees Seed dispersers. Birds Comments. An attractive plant with showy flowers and a pleasant fragrance. Individual plants vary considerably in corolla length. Voucher No. Haber 9544 |
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