150 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM, 
1. Brownea grandiceps Jacq. Coll. Bot. 3: 287. 1789. 
A tree varying in stature from 3! to 20 meters,” the trunk erect and branching from 
the base. Bark brownish, shaggy; cross section of the whitish wood showing dis- 
tinctly a cross formed by the medullary rays. Young shoots 4-sulcate and densely 
ferruginous-hairy. 
Leaves 5 to 15-jugate; rachis 10 to 45 cm. long, terete, subsulcate, brownish-tomen- 
tose; petioles 2 to 10 mm. long. Leaflets opposite or subopposite, eglandulose; petio- 
lules 2 to 3 mm. long, stout, terete, densely brownish-tomentose; blades ovate, elliptic, 
or obovate-lanceolate, long cuspidate acuminate, oblique and rounded or subemar- 
ginate at the base with the broader lobe inside, the basal ones 5 to 10 cm. long, 2.5 to 
3 em. broad, the others 12 to 15 cm. long, 3.5 to 4.5 cm. broad. Nervation impressed 
above, prominent beneath, the costa hairy, the primary veins doubly anastomosed along 
the undulate margin. Leaf buds drooping, wrapped in 3 to 5 stipules, these obovate- 
acuminate, 15 to 40 cm. long, about 5 cm. broad, pink, pubescent outside. 
Floral spikes terminal, solitary, sessile, forming ovate heads often of considerable 
size, but usually from 10 to 15 cm. in diameter. Bracts numerous, obovate-attenuate, 
caducous, whitish brown hairy without, pubescent within, the exterior ones 5 to 10 cm. 
long, 2 to 3 cm. broad, subacute, the interior ones smaller. Floral pedicels 9 to 10 mm. 
long, densely covered with pale brown hairs. Sheath 2.5 to 2.7 cm. long, subcam- 
panulate, the lobes obtuse and distinctly 1-costate, densely pale brown hairy without, 
glabrous within. Receptacle tube 1.7 cm. long, widening from base to tip, glabrous or 
glabrescent without, hairy within. Sepals 4, glabrous, 2.2 to 2.5 cm. long, rounded at 
tip, the anterior one 15 mm. broad and slightly emarginate, the others 9 to 12 mm. 
broad. Petals broadly obovate-spatulate, 4.4 cm. long, 2 cm. broad, attenuate at the 
base into a claw 1.5 cm. long, often subemarginate at the tip, pale pink or red, glabrous, 
Stamens 11, 4.2 to 4.8 cm. long, connate at the base into a tube 8 mm. long, densely 
hairy inside; filaments glabrous, subulate; anthers about 5 mm. long, 2 mm. broad. 
Pistil about 5 cm. long (stipe 1.5 cm., ovary 1.2 cm., style 2.3 cm.); stipe and ovary 
densely whitish-tomentose; style glabrous. 
Pod flattened, broad,* with few flattened seeds.' 
VENEZUELA: ‘‘ Circa Caracas, in sylvaticis montanis,’’ Jacquin (type). Near Cuma- 
nacoa, Curiepe, Caracas, and La Victoria, flowers, December, Hwmboldt & Bonpland; 
Siquire Valley, State of Miranda, in woods, altitude 450 to 600 meters, flowers, March 20, 
1918, Pittier 5969. 
This is a well-defined type, characterized by its abundant, mostly tomentose and 
brownish indument, its many-jugate leaves forming at first showy purple bunches at the 
endsof the branchlets, and its large inflorescences, each of which contains, according to 
Bonpland, from 400 to 500 flowers. The tree is highly ornamental and worth the atten- 
tion of the landscape gardeners interested in tropical projects. Its area seems to be 
limited to the hills of the “ tierra caliente”’ of the lower belt of Venezuela, where it is 
known as ‘‘ palo de cruz” or ‘‘rosa de montafia.”’ 
2. Brownea ariza Benth. Pl. Hartw. 171. 1857. PLATES 59—62. 
A tree 5 to 8 meters high, with a rounded-depressed crown. Young branchlets 
ferruginous-hairy. 
Leaves paripinnate, with 6 to 10 pairs (or seldom more or fewer) of subcoriaceous 
leaflets, all opposite or subopposite. Rachis up to 40 cm. long, terete or obscurely 
1 Jacq. loc. cit. 
2H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 6: 313. 1823. 
3 When fresh from the bud, the leaves are lax and drooping and show a thick rachis, 
densely covered with shaggy whitish brown hairs, the leaflets narrowly laciniate, 
exstipulate, long-apiculate, of a beautiful purple color, the midrib marked by a thick 
line of snow-white hairs. 
* Pittier in notes. 
