About Macleania pentaptera Hoerold
Macleania pentaptera Hoerold is a branched shrub that can grow as either an epiphyte or a terrestrial plant, with branches reaching up to 3 meters in length. Its branches are terete, glabrous, covered in smooth brown bark, and have internodes 2–3 cm long. This species has glabrous, coriaceous, ovate to elliptic leaves with entire margins; leaves measure (3–)7–14.5 cm in length and (2–)3.5–9 cm in width. Its pinnate leaf venation is impressed on the upper leaf surface and prominent on the abaxial surface. The glabrous petiole is 2–6 mm long. Inflorescences are axillary or terminal racemes, with a rhachis up to 4 cm long, holding 2–7(–8) flowers. Each flower is fleshy, waxy, nectariferous, pedicellate, and tubular, with a vibrant orange-red corolla and green tip; pedicels measure 9–25(–33) mm long. The calyx is five-winged, obconical, 0.8–1 cm long and 0.6 cm wide, with five acute teeth. The corolla is tubular, fused, urceolate, and pentagonal, 1.7 cm long and 0.4–0.5 cm wide, with a densely pilose throat. The androecium contains 10 stamens that are 10–12.5 mm long, while the gynoecium is made up of 5 carpels. The fruit is a translucent, white to green, globose berry 20 mm wide that holds numerous seeds. This species is native to montane forests of Ecuador, where it grows at elevations ranging from 150 to 2100(–4000) meters above sea level. Its flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant, though it is rare in cultivation, and its fruit is edible with a very sweet and pleasant flavor.
