taxonID	type	description	language	source
A262845053795E5FAF1D340F78C7D82E.taxon	description	Figs 1, 2, 4	en	Jiménez, Marco M., Iturralde, Gabriel A., del Pozo, Diego Gutiérrez, Lapo-González, Nadia, Kuethe, J. R., Garzón-Suárez, Henry X. (2025): Ceratostema limonensis (Ericaceae), a new species from the Province of Morona-Santiago, Ecuador. PhytoKeys 263: 37-47, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.263.159645
A262845053795E5FAF1D340F78C7D82E.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. Ceratostema limonensis is morphologically similar to C. gualaquizensis, but differs by the longer (4.8 – 5.1 mm vs. 1 mm long), subterete (vs. obconical) rhachis; the shorter (1.4 – 1.8 mm vs. 3.4 – 4.7 mm long), ovate-deltate (vs. narrowly lanceolate) calyx lobes; the shorter corolla (2.9 cm vs. 4.5 – 4.7 cm long) with narrower lobes (2.3 mm vs. 3.7 – 4.0 mm wide), that have the same colour as the rest of the corolla (vs. black at the apex and inside); and the shorter (3.1 – 3.3 cm vs. 4.6 – 4.7 cm long), pilose (vs. glabrous) filaments.	en	Jiménez, Marco M., Iturralde, Gabriel A., del Pozo, Diego Gutiérrez, Lapo-González, Nadia, Kuethe, J. R., Garzón-Suárez, Henry X. (2025): Ceratostema limonensis (Ericaceae), a new species from the Province of Morona-Santiago, Ecuador. PhytoKeys 263: 37-47, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.263.159645
A262845053795E5FAF1D340F78C7D82E.taxon	description	Description. Pendant, epiphytic shrubs; indumentum consisting of short, white, almost persistent, eglandular trichomes of 0.2 – 0.7 mm long, trichomes arranged unevenly, sparsely to densely on younger branches, petioles, leaf blades, inflorescences and flowers, including stamens and style; axonomorphous roots with well-developed lignotubers, lignotubers fusiform, 6.0 – 7.3 × 2.1 – 2.8 cm. Stems terete to subterete, 5 – 8 cm long, glabrous, slightly arching, arising from the lignotuber, the older stems dark brown, cracking longitudinally and exfoliating; younger branches subterete, up to 18 cm long, 0.8 – 1.3 mm wide, pendant, subflexuous, dark brown, pilose, becoming glabrous and striate when old or after exfoliation; axillary buds emerging 1 mm below the leaf node. Leaves spirally arranged, subsessile, pendulous to almost horizontal; petioles subterete, 0.9 – 1.9 × 1.0 mm, pilose, pale green; blades lanceolate, 5.5 – 7.8 × 1.8 – 2.0 cm, thinly-coriaceous, convex with the basal margins folded to conceal flowers and fruits, base cordate to obtuse, apex acuminate, dark green adaxially, pale green abaxially, lustrous and pilose adaxially, dull and pilose abaxially, becoming glabrous with age, 5 – 7 - plinerved from near the base, the mid-vein raised along almost its length adaxially, thickened in the proximal 12 mm, impressed and hollow abaxially, the secondary veins raised adaxially, weakly impressed abaxially, branching, anastomosing distally with reticulate veinlets, slightly raised adiaxally, obscure abaxially. Inflorescence axillary, 1 – 2 - flowered, sessile; rachis subterete, constricted in the middle, 4.8 – 5.1 mm long, 1.4 mm thick, subverrucose, covered at the base by several bracts; bracts deltate, 0.4 – 0.6 mm long, minute, persistent, whitish-green, pilose, acute; floral bracts narrowly ovate, ca. 0.6 × 0.2 mm, suffused with pink, pilose, attenuate; pedicel subclavate, 5.1 – 5.5 mm long, 2.6 – 2.8 mm thick, subverrucose, slightly arcuate, pale green, pilose, articulate with the calyx; bracteoles 2, ovate-triangular, 0.5 – 0.7 × 0.3 – 0.5 mm, minute, whitish-green, pilose, attenuate, located near the base and opposite. Flowers pentamerous rarely tetramerous, descending to pendulous; calyx pilose, 5.1 – 6.0 × 4.5 – 5.0 mm, green; hypanthium obconic, 2.7 – 3.8 × 4.6 – 5.0 mm, obscurely 5 - ridged, truncate; limb open, 1.9 × 4.2 – 4.5 mm, erect; lobes 5, ovate-deltate, 1.4 – 1.8 × 1.8 – 2.1 mm, small, shortly acuminate, the sinuses acute. Corolla tubular, slightly narrowing distally, 2.9 cm long (including the lobes), thick-carnose, bistratose, pubescent and bluntly 5 - angled along its length, pubescent in the internal apical half, 5 mm in diameter at the base, 4 mm in diameter at the throat, magenta, paler at the angles; lobes 5, narrowly linear-triangular, 14.0 – 15.7 × 2.3 mm, spreading, acuminate, slightly incurved, glabrous, channelled and subverrucose internally. Stamens 10, nearly equalling the corolla in overall length, each pair unequal, 3.1 – 3.3 cm long; filaments connate forming a tubular staminal tube, slightly dilated distally, 8.9 – 9.6 mm long, white with a touch of pink, pilose externally in the proximal half; anthers 2.3 – 2.7 cm long, thecae conspicuously granulose, 6.2 – 6.8 mm long, prognathous, each pair of thecae unequal, 4.8 – 5.0 mm long; tubules distinct, 1.8 – 2.2 cm long, slightly unequal, seemingly connate in almost its length, straight, glabrous, dehiscing by terminal pores, 0.6 × 0.3 mm. Style exserted, 2.9 – 3.4 cm long, sparsely pilose at the middle, pale green, stigma truncated. Fruits not seen.	en	Jiménez, Marco M., Iturralde, Gabriel A., del Pozo, Diego Gutiérrez, Lapo-González, Nadia, Kuethe, J. R., Garzón-Suárez, Henry X. (2025): Ceratostema limonensis (Ericaceae), a new species from the Province of Morona-Santiago, Ecuador. PhytoKeys 263: 37-47, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.263.159645
A262845053795E5FAF1D340F78C7D82E.taxon	distribution	Distribution and habitat. Ceratostema limonensis is currently known only from the vicinity of Limón in southern Morona-Santiago Province, where it was found on the south-eastern slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes (Fig. 3). It has been observed at elevations between 1100 and 1400 m in habitats characterised by mature, lower montane forests (Fig. 4). These forests are part of the “ Bosque siempreverde piemontano del sur de la Cordillera Oriental de los Andes ” (code BsPn 04), as defined by the Ecuadorian Ministry for Environment (Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador 2013). The forest at the type locality is multi-stratified with a semi-open forest canopy and few lower forest glades with a maximum height of ca. 20 m. The most dominant species are Alchornea grandis Benth., Ficus cf. trapezicola Dugand, Metteniusa tessmanniana (Sleumer) Sleumer and Otoba parvifolia (Markgr.) A. H. Gentry. Specimens of C. limonensis were found sympatric with other flora, such as Evodianthus funifer Lindm., Maxillaria mapiriensis (Kraenzl.) L. O. Williams, Ronnbergia campanulata Gilmartin & H. Luther and Stenospermation sp.	en	Jiménez, Marco M., Iturralde, Gabriel A., del Pozo, Diego Gutiérrez, Lapo-González, Nadia, Kuethe, J. R., Garzón-Suárez, Henry X. (2025): Ceratostema limonensis (Ericaceae), a new species from the Province of Morona-Santiago, Ecuador. PhytoKeys 263: 37-47, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.263.159645
A262845053795E5FAF1D340F78C7D82E.taxon	etymology	Etymology. This species is named after the Municipality of Limón in the Province of Morona-Santiago, the township near to which the new species was discovered.	en	Jiménez, Marco M., Iturralde, Gabriel A., del Pozo, Diego Gutiérrez, Lapo-González, Nadia, Kuethe, J. R., Garzón-Suárez, Henry X. (2025): Ceratostema limonensis (Ericaceae), a new species from the Province of Morona-Santiago, Ecuador. PhytoKeys 263: 37-47, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.263.159645
