Psammisia
Psammisia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. It contains the fruiting bushes commonly called joyapas and is distributed throughout the Neotropics.
Description
Psammisia are shrubs can be found on land or as epiphytes. Their leaves are usually arranged alternately, occasionally in pairs, with a leathery texture and smooth edges. The flowers are typically grouped in small clusters or elongated spikes, with each flower having a small bract and two basal bracteoles. The flowers have five petals, no scent, and a valve-like arrangement as they open. The calyx is fused, forming a tube that is round or occasionally winged, with the upper part standing upright or spreading out. The corolla is also fused, forming a tube that can be cylindrical, elongated, urn-shaped, or nearly spherical, with a fleshy texture. Psammisia flowers have 8 to 12 stamens, which are equal in length to about one-third of the corolla or almost as long as the corolla itself. The stamen filaments may be separate or joined together, and they often have two conspicuous spurs at the tips. The anthers are rigid and open through elongated slits facing inward. The ovary is positioned below the flower. Psammisia plants produce fruit in the form of berries, which have a leathery texture.Taxonomy
It was described by Johann Friedrich Klotzsch in 1851. The type species is Psammisia falcata. Within the subfamily Vaccinioideae it is placed in the tribe Vaccinieae.Species
Species include:| Image | Name | Distribution |
| Psammisia aberrans | Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru | |
| Psammisia amazonica | Ecuador and Peru | |
| Psammisia aurantiaca | Ecuador | |
| Psammisia caloneura | southern Colombia and northern Ecuador | |
| Psammisia chionantha | Ecuador | |
| Psammisia columbiensis | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Psammisia corallina | Ecuador | |
| Psammisia cuyujensis | Ecuador | |
| Psammisia darienensis | Panama | |
| Psammisia debilis | Southern Colombia to central Ecuador. | |
| Psammisia dolichopoda | Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador | |
| Psammisia ecuadorensis | Ecuador | |
| Psammisia ferruginea | W Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador | |
| Psammisia fissilis | Ecuador and Peru | |
| Psammisia flaviflora | Ecuador | |
| Psammisia grabneriana | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Psammisia guianensis | Brazil and the Guianas, to Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia | |
| Psammisia idalima | Southern Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Psammisia incana | Ecuador | |
| Psammisia montana | West-central Colombia to northern Ecuador | |
| Psammisia oreogenes | Ecuador | |
| Psammisia orientalis | Ecuador | |
| Psammisia pauciflora | Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia | |
| Psammisia ramiflora | Costa Rica and Panama | |
| Psammisia roseiflora | Oriente of Ecuador | |
| Psammisia sclerantha | Ecuador | |
| Psammisia sodiroi | Colombia and Ecuador | |
| Psammisia ulbrichiana | Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru | |
| Psammisia williamsii | Costa Rica |