IMBRICATA Rose , 1903

Villadia imbricata  Rose, 1903

Synonyms :

Cotyledon imbricata  (Rose) Fedde (1904) / Altamiranoa imbricata  (Rose) E.Walther (1938)

Altamiranoa ericoides  H.Jacobsen (1955)

Distribution : Mexico (Puebla, Oaxaca); ± 700 m.

Description (according to IHSP, 2003) :

Herbs.

Stems ± decurnbent-ascending, matforming, at the most basally somewhat woody, flowering stems 2 - 10 (-15) cm, sterile stems shorter.

Flowering stems laxly leafy, sterile stems densely imbricately leafy.

Leaves appressed, ovate, curved inwards, acute, upper face ± flattish, lower face keeled, young conspicuously and later somewhat papillose, 3 - 8 (-12) x 2 - 4 mm, pale green, young glaucous.

Inflorescences dense spikes or thyrses, ± 1 - 4 (-8) cm, basal branches sometimes with 2 flowers, overall with 8 - 20 flowers, pedicels of basal flowers very short, otherwise absent.

Flowers : Sepals elliptic, appressed, obtuse, apically somewhat papillose, unequal, 2.5 - 4 x 1.2 - 1.5 mm, corolla weakly pentagonal-ovoid, hardly opening, petals ovate, rather thick, dorsally keeled, acute, 3 - 4 (-5) x 1.2 mm, white, tube 0.8 - 1.7mm, lobes erect, hardly spreading, acute, subapically somewhat aristate, ± 2.7 - 3.3 mm.

Cytology : n = 12

Diagnostically characterized by the imbricate foliage.

Frequently cultivated.