382 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



Flowers usually solitary; bracts persistent, 

 herbaceous; anthocarp oblong or 

 obovoid (truncate). (Perianth with 

 a conspicuous, often very long, tube; 



stamens 5) 18. Acleisanthes (p. 417). 



Flowers usually more than one, approxi- 

 mate, rarely solitary; bracts ecarious, 

 deciduous; anthocarp narrowed or 

 constricted at the base. 

 Anthocarp with 5 or fewer angles or 

 ribs (obpyramidal or clavate); 



perianth campanulate. 19. Boerhaavia (p. 418). 



Anthocarp 10-ribbed or striate; peri- 

 anth not campanulate. 

 Anthocarp asymmetrical (clavate, 

 without conspicuous muci- 

 laginous glands); flowers in 



racemes 20. ("yphomeris (p. 428). 



Anthocarp symmetrical; flowers 

 not in racemes, 

 Anthocarp clavate, with con- 

 spicuous stalked muci- 

 laginous glands; flowers 

 umbellate; plants with 

 weak, reclining, or 

 clambering stems often 

 woody at the base; 

 leaves scattered evenly 



along the stems 21. Commicarpus (p. 428). 



Anthocarp turbinate or bitur- 

 binate, without con- 

 spicuous stalked, muci- 

 laginous glands; stems 

 etout, erect, herbace- 

 ous; leaves mostly ba- 

 sal 22. Anulocaulis (p. 430). 



1. NEE A Ruiz & Pavon. 



Neea Ruiz & Pav. Fl. Peruv. Chil. Prodr. 02. pi. 9. 1794. 



Type species, Neea vertldllata Ruiz & Pav. 



The genus consists of about 30 species besides those described here. Two are 

 found in the West Indies, the others in South America, principally in Brazil and Peru. 

 One or two are known from Colombia. 



Hemsley cites three plants of the genus from our region, none of them under a 

 specific name. The three numbers cited are Sutton Hayes's 112 and 359 from Pan- 

 ama, and Linden's 1606 from Teapa, Tabasco. None of these has been seen in the 

 preparation of the present paper. The specimen from Tabasco is likely to be one of 

 the species described from Mexico, or possibly N. psychotrioides, while those from 

 Panama should be either N. psychotrioides or undescribed species. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Leaves tomentose beneath I. N. fagifolia. 



Leave glabrous beneath. 



Leaf blades 11 cm. wide or more, sharply caudate 2. N. pitlieri. 



Leaf blades less than 7 cm. wide, not caudate. 



