Agarista organensis
Agarista organensis is a shrub of the heath family, Ericaceae, restricted to the state of Rio de Janeiro in southeastern Brazil. Kew recognises it as an accepted species.[1] It grows in the Serra dos Órgãos mountains.[2]
Appearance
Judd describes an upright shrub reaching about two metres. Its small, leathery leaves are usually half a centimetre to 1.7 centimetres long, with strongly rolled-under edges. They are oval to elliptical, with a heart-shaped or squared-off base.[2]
The flowers grow singly or in small clusters beside the leaves. Their joined petals form a tube six to seven and a half millimetres long. Judd records white flowers, with a question mark against possible red coloration. Small, broadly egg-shaped capsules contain the seeds.[2]
Habitat
The 1995 treatment records the plant in shrub bogs containing Sphagnum moss, at about 1,500–1,830 metres. It records flowering from November to January.[2] The Rio de Janeiro red book places the species in high-altitude vegetation, principally within Serra dos Órgãos National Park.[3]
Conservation
An assessment dated 5 January 2017 classified the species as Critically Endangered. It estimated an occupied area of eight square kilometres and identified one threat-defined location. The assessors cited fires, invasive species and unregulated tourist visits as pressures on its habitat, and inferred continuing losses in occupied area, habitat quality and subpopulations. These are the findings of that dated assessment.[3]
Name and early collection
George Gardner named the species Leucothoe organensis in 1845. It was placed in Agarista in 1889. The name is based on Gardner's collection 475, gathered in the Serra dos Órgãos in May 1837.[2]
References
- ↑ Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Agarista organensis (Gardner) Hook.f. ex Nied. Plants of the World Online. Accessed 9 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Judd, W. S. Agarista organensis. New York Botanical Garden, electronic treatment based on Flora Neotropica Monograph 66 (1995). Accessed 9 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rosa, P. da; reviewed by Amaro, R. and Martins, E. Agarista organensis. Assessment dated 5 January 2017, in Livro vermelho da flora endêmica do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Ericaceae account. Accessed 9 October 2026.