148 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM, 
From Colombia two species, B. ariza and B. macrophylla, have been 
reported. The former corresponds to the type of the Multijugatae, 
already represented by the Venezuelan B. grandiceps. The latter 
has the peculiarity of giving forth its ponderous inflorescences from 
the old wood of the trunk and larger limbs. It is also found in the 
woods of southeastern Panama. 
THE GENUS BROWNEOPSIS. 
In 1905 the lamented Dr. J. Huber established this genus with 
B. ucayalina as type. The characters which differentiate it from 
Brownea are, according to the author, the absence of the sheath 
(formed, as we shall see, b¥ 2 connate bracteoles), and the rudi- 
mentary petals. In Panama I found an apparently undescribed 
species, in which also the sheath is lacking, but in which the petals 
are well developed, although of much smaller size than in the species 
of Brownea. If the rudimentary condition of the petals were an 
essential character, the standing of Browneopsis would perhaps be 
somewhat shaken by this discovery of a transitional form, differing 
from Brownea only by the absence of the connate bracteoles. But 
there is another feature, in my mind of much greater importance, 
which seems to have escaped the attention of Dr. Huber. I refer to 
the number of stamens. It seems certain, namely, that in all true 
species of Brownea these number only 10 or 11, while in Browneopsis 
ucayalina they are 12 to 15, in B. cauliflora 15 or more, and in 
B. excelsa, the new Panamanian species, either 14 or 15. It is not 
unlikely that further investigations of the flowers of the 3 species 
will show the normal number of stamens to be 15. Thus the differ- 
ential characters of Browneopsis are really the absence of sheath and 
the larger number of stamens, together with the lesser development 
of the petals. 
The known species of Browneopsis are trees of small or middle size, 
The species found in Panama differ at first inspection from the 
Amazonian ones in having the inflorescences mostly terminal. 
AFFINITIES OF BROWNEA AND BROWNEOPSIS. 
The genera Brownea and Browneopsis form with Macrolobium, 
Palovea, Heterostemon, Goniorrhachis, and Elizabetha, a group of the 
Caesalpiniaceae, tribe Amherstieae, characterized by the large bracteal 
envelopes of the inflorescence, which do not fall until after the open- 
ing of the flowers is well started, and by certain other structural 
characters. On account of the absence of bracteoles, Browneopsis 
would stand near Tachigalia, but the form of the receptacle and its 
adherence to the pistillary stipe, the number of the calyx divisions, 
1 Bol. Mus. Goeldi 4: 565. 1905. - 
