114 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
THE GENUS LOPIMIA. 
This genus of Malvaceae, described by Martius in 1823, was recog- 
nized by several writers in the earlier part of the nineteenth century, 
but in later years has always been included in Pavonia. Indeed, it 
has not been separated even as a subgenus or section. To the 
writer, the two species to be placed here seem well worthy of generic 
recognition. The genus may be characterized as follows: 
LOPIMIA Mart. 
Lopimia Mart. Nov. Act. Acad. Caes. Leop. Carol. 11: 96. 1828. 
Branched shrubs with large ovate-cordate soft-pubescent toothed petioled leaves; 
stipules and bracts linear to subulate, persistent or deciduous; flowers on axillary, 1 
to many-flowered peduncles near the ends of the branches, numerous, appearing 
paniculate, the clusters of the inflorescence mostly shorter than the leaves; bracts of 
the involucre 12 to 22, linear or narrowly linear-lanceolate, densely pubescent, in a 
single series; calyx very short, one-fourth as long as the involucral bracts or shorter, 
shallowly lobed; corolla large and showy, much exceeding the involucre, the petals 
somewhat clawed at the base, entire, densely soft-pubescent on the outer surface; 
stamen tube about as long as the corolla; style branches 10, slender, elongate, exceed- 
ing the corolla, erect, the stigmas small, capitate, tuberculate or pubescent; carpels 
5, more or less reticulate, at maturity with a thin viscid mucilaginous coating, becom- 
ing glabrous and shining when dried, rounded at the apex, readily separable when 
mature from the ringlike hollow gynobase, tardily if at all dehiscent; seeds reniform, 
smooth, glabrous. 
The genus was held distinct, originally, because of the mucilaginous covering of 
the carpels and the very numerous involucral bracts. In the second species of the 
genus listed here from Panama the bracts are only 12, a number equaled in true 
species of Malache (Pavonia). The mucilaginous coating of the carpels, however, 
suffices to distinguish the genus. When dry this gives the fruit a glossy appearance 
quite unlike that of the dull surface of species of Malache. In addition, the two 
species of Lopimia are very different in general appearance from the members of the 
genus Malache by the large, showy, very numerous flowers and the broad, densely 
soft-pubescent leaves. Another character worthy of mention is found in the very 
short, thin calyx which is pressed almost flat by the growth of the carpels. In the 
form of the flowers and fruit, Lopimia suggests Malvaviscus rather than Malache. 
Lopimia dasypetala (Turez.) Standley. 
Pavonia dasypetala Turez. Bull. Soc. Nat. Moseou 81: 189. 1858. 
Tyre Locauiry: Near San Cristébal, Province of Mérida, Venezuela, at an altitude 
of 750 meters. 
Rance: Costa Rica to Venezuela. 
SPECIMENS EXAMINED: 
Panama: Without locality, Hayes 216. Sunny edge of forest, railroad relocation 
between Gorgona and Gattin, Pittier 2273. Lion Hill, Gattin, Goldman 1855. 
Costa Rica: Térraba, February 5, 1891, Pittier. 
A shrub 1 to 3 meters high, with purplish pink flowers. 
This is probably the plant collected by Hayes (no. 482) reported by Hemsley! as 
Pavonia velutina St. Hil., that name being a synonym of Lopimia malacophyila. 
Our Panamanian and Costa Rican plants may not be true dasypetala, for the writer 
has seen no Venezuelan specimens. They agree fully with the original description of 
the species, but this is not as complete as might be desired. Turczaninow states that 
1 Biol. Centr. Amer, Bot. 1: 117, 1879. 
