270 



CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



6. Castilla costaricana Liebm. Dansk. Vid. Selsk. Skr. V. 2:310. 1851. 



Plates 29^34. Figure 49. 

 A tree generally 12 to 15 meters high, but sometimes reaching IS and 22 

 meters. Limbs divaricate, thick, nude. Twigs more or less hairy-tomentose, 

 with the leaves crowded at the ends at blooming time. 



Leaves deciduous, of very variable size, but rather large when fully de- 

 veloped. Petioles 1.5 to 2 cm. long, thick, hairy-tomentose, longitudinally plicate 

 in dry specimens. Mature leaf blades 2!) to 40 cm. long, 12 to 24 cm. broad, 

 coriaceous, ovate, oblong, or slightly lyrate, more or less emarginate-cordate at 

 base, abruptly acuminate, dark green and sparsely soft-pubescent above except 

 on the hirsute midrib, paler beneath and covered with oppressed hair, (his 

 thick on the midrib and primary veins and sparser elsewhere; venation regular, 

 with 16 to 22 alternate primary veins on each side of the midrib; margin 

 minutely sinuate, with tufts of hair, simulating teeth, between the sinuses." 

 Stipules caducous, very variable in size (4 to 15 cm. long, 3.5 to 4.5 cm. broad), 

 narrower at base, elliptic-ovate, pointed at tip, tomen- 

 tose outside, purple inside. 



Receptacles of the primary male inflorescence in 

 clusters of 4 or less, caducous, flabellate or 3-winged, 

 but not kidney-shaped nor emarginate at base, about 

 2 cm. long and up to 5 cm. broad. Pedicels about 1 cm. 

 long, pubescent, bractless at base, but with one whorl 

 of pubescent, acute-tipped bracts near the middle. 

 Receptacle covered outside with (> to 8 concentric rows 

 of ovate-acuminate, mucronate scales, those of the mid- 

 dle row about (! mm. long and 5 mm broad. Interstam- 

 inate bracteoles few and of reduced size. Stamens 

 glabrous, 4 mm. long; filaments about 2.5 mm. long, 

 straight, cylindrical; anther cells elongate, subreni- 

 form, affixed laterally on both sides of a thick, clavate 

 connective. 



Receptacles of the complemental male inflorescence 

 geminate, 1.5 to 2 cm. long, 1 cm. in diameter, more or 

 less obconical and rounded at. 1 1 j >, insensibly attenuated 

 into a short, thick stipe, the whole densely covered with 

 hairy, adhering, distinctly mucronate scales, these of 

 irregular size near the base, but about 5 mm. long and 

 4 mm. broad in the middle rows. Stamens 3 to 4 mm. long, glabrous, distributed 

 in irregular lines between the diversely shaped, hairy bracteoles of the almost 

 entirely closed cavity of the receptacle; filaments cylindrical, thick, about 2 mm. 

 long, bent at the (op; anther cells narrow, affixed to a thick connective. 



Receptacles of the pistillate inflorescence shallow-cupuliform, sessile; outer 

 scales broadly ovate-acuminate, adhering, setose, and usually arranged in 3 to 4 

 imbricate rows. Flowers rather small, closely adhering together for two-thirds 

 of their length. Free part of the perianth 3 mm. long, thick, hairy, parted at 

 the tip into 4 obtuse lobes, these about 1 mm. long. Style slender, about 2 mm. 



Fig. 49. — Floral details 

 of Castilla costaricana. 

 a, Stamens of primary 

 male inflorescence; b, 

 immature stamen of 

 complemental inflores- 

 cence with bracteole ; 

 c, mature stamen of 

 same ; (I, cross section 

 o f pistillate flower. 

 a-d. Scale .'!. 



°On young leaves the upper surface is sparsely covered with appressed 

 hairs, these, however, being dense on the midrib and primary veins, which thus 

 neatly project in white or yellowish lines; beneath, the pubescence is also 

 thicker, especially on the midrib and veins, and the tufts of hairs on the 

 margin are quite close. These leaves are often attenuate and simplv rounded 

 or scarcely emarginate at base. 



