■M 



HO 



8. DESMONCUS PRUNIFER. 



D. aculcis vaginarum petioli, spatfiae spadicisquc setosorum c basi conica reclls, rhacheos ad- 

 uncis; foliolis ohlongo- lanceolate, acuminatis, inermibus; cirrhis uncatis; drupis ovalibus, 

 pollicaribus. 



JJesmoncus prunifer, Puppig in littcris. 



DESCBJPTIO. Cavdex usque ad ramos inferiorcs arborum sylvaliearum adscendens, viginti ad tnginta 



minusve jnerassatae insidentes, densi, inacquales, atri, nitidi; setae ipsae rcctac, breves, rigidac, fragilcs; 

 aculei setis rariorcs ac duplo majorcs, sparsi, recti, c basi conica orti, duri, in pctiolis rctrorsum adunci. 



Frondes cum rhachi cxcurrcntc quadripedales, modo Iongiorcs, patcntes, apico laxo dedcxae, vel uncorum 

 (foliolorum inipcrfcctorum) ope inter arborcs vicinas suspensac ac sustcntae. Petioli basi vaginantcs, seraitcrctes, 



juga, alterna aut opposita, sibi inviccm inacqualitcr approximate, acqualia, pollices sex ad scptcm longa, ob- 

 longa, basi acuta, apico longc acuminata, intcgerrima, plana, costa ac marginc incrmia, subtus in feme macula 

 spinuloso-barbata insignia, pcrcursa nervo primario uirinquc prominulo ct latcralibus decern ad duodcenn 

 minus conspicuis, quam in rcliquis specicbus multo minus membranacca. 



Sp^p/ces subaxillarcs, solitarii, ramosi, pede longiores, pedunculo sex ad octo pollices longo, tereti, 

 aculcis rcctis dense vestito, ramulis paucis flexuosis, tortuosis, angulosis, vel inermibus vel solum in axillis 

 fasciculo sctarum pungentium brcvi stipatis. Spatiia exterior anticc plana, postice convcxa, margimbus alula 

 undulata dccurrcntc ciucta, inermis, membranacca; interior pedunculi modo aculeata, aculcis crcctis. I lores 

 baud noli. Drupae in arcolis spadicis scssilcs, calyce cxcrcsccntc trifido, inlcrdtim fisso aut novemdentato 



nucc AvELLATiAE major, testa nigro-castanca, tenuitcr fiavo reticulata, fovcis apicalibus tribus cxaralus, qua- 

 rum unica major circuitu potius triangular! cmbryoncm crassum fovct, albuminc sohdo, albo, olcoso, 

 cduli. 



Crescil in sylvis densis Provinciae peruvianae Maynas, versits mi&sionem Yurimaguas; el verosimUUcr 

 quoque in occidentali plaga Provinciae liio Negro. Decembri frtictifer iectiis. 



OBSERVATIO L Aboriginibus dicilur hie Desmoncus „DiabIo -cacha," i. e. spina Diaboli, quippc 

 qui venatoribus maximc molcstus, incaulis vulnera satis accrba infligcre soleat. Fructus sapore haud ingrato a 

 pucris inter dclicias babctur. 



OBSERVATIO IT. Desmoncus prunifer primo visu magnitudinc fructuum, qui in rcliquis specicbus 

 piso vix majorcs, insignis, distinguitur ab allinibus D. pnlyacanfho ac D. oxyacanlho spadice aculcato, drupa- 

 rum mole, a D. maeroacantho spatha haud sctosa, a D. orihacantho aculeorum forma, spattia aculcis horrida, 

 a D. pycnacanlho foliolis inermibus. 



OBSERVATIO III. Desmonci baud solum svlvarum primacvarum rcgioncs super Occanum parum elevatas 

 obumbrantium sunt incolac, a nobis ctiarn in montibus pcruvianis, i.e. in vicious missionis Tocachc ad (lumen 

 Iluallagam sitae obscrvati, plagas vcro subalpinas, arris tempcric annua clcmcutiorc (=17° + Cent) gaudentes, 

 i. e. tractum montium versus Cucbcro situm, fugiunt. In provincia Maynas planiticm magnam et calidam 

 occupantc praetcr illam speciem obscrvavimus D. polyacanlhum, I), milem, rarissimc tandem D.macroacan- 

 ilium ibi oflendimus, qui versus ostia (luminis Para sylvarum littoralium vera pestis. Puppig m Iittcns. 





