118 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
According to Humboldt and Bonpland, Machaerium humboldtianum is known 
among the natives of the Aragua Valley under the names of “ufia de gato,” 
cat’s claw, and “sangre de toro,” bull’s blood, the latter on account of the red 
gum which exudes from incisions made in the trunk. 
Bentham attributes to this species subisadelphous stamens. As a matter of 
fact, they are always monadelphous structurally, the tube being opened above 
by a longitudinal slit which is ended at the base by a thick callous. The lower 
slit, which often divides the tube all through, is mechanical and the result 
more or less of the thickening of the ovary, so that the consequent division 
of the stamens into two apparent fraternities can not be considered as a real 
character of any species in the genus. 
Machaerium intermedium Pittier, sp. nov. Figure 55. 
An unarmed shrub or small tree, the branchlets verruculose, more or less 
ferruginous-pubescent. 
Leaves 7 or 8-foliolate, the rachis slender, terete, sparsely ferruginous-hairy, 
4.5 to 7 cm. long. Leaflets subcoriaceous, the petiolules ferruginous-hairy, 3 to 4 
mm. long, the blades ovate, ovate-oblong, or ovate- 
elliptic, rounded at the base, acuminate at the apex, 
2 to 4.5 em. long, 1 to 1.7 em, broad, dark green on both 
faces, sublustrous and reticulate above and sparsely 
villosulous along the costa, glabrous or very sparsely 
villosulous beneath, sparsely ciliate. Stipules wanting. 
Inflorescences axillary and terminal, the rachis 
fuscous-pubescent, 1.5 to 2 em. long, ramified, the 
branchlets or peduncles about 1 cm. long, 5 to 7-flowered. 
_= Bracts caducous or wanting; bractlets very small, ovate, 
Fig. 55.—Bloral details onchoid, pubescent, subpersistent, Flowers sessile, 
of Machaerium inter- ; . 
medium. a, Unopened about 8.5 mm. long. Calycinal bractlets clasping, much 
flower; 6, wings; broader than long, fuscous-pubescent, about 1.5 mm. 
e, carinal petals; long, 2 to 2.5 mm. broad, Calyx campanulate, 2.5 to 3.5 
d, calyx; €, ovary, wm, long, fuscous-pubescent, the teeth small and un- 
Natural size. From ; . 
type specimen. even. Petals purple; standard _ thick, coriaceous, 
conchoid, minutely fuscous-pubescent without, the claw 
about 0.7 mm. long, the blade suborbicular, rounded or subemarginate at the 
base, rounded and incised-emarginate at the apex, about 6 mm. long, 7 mm. 
broad, the margin incurved; wings long and narrow, fuscous-pubescent without 
slong the middle, the claw about 2.5 mm. long, the blade scarcely auriculate, 
obtuse, 6 mm. long, 2.5 mm. broad; carinal petals faleate, fuscous-pubescent 
without along the carinal side, the claw as in the wings, the blade auriculate, 
obtuse, 6.5 mm. long, about 3 mm. broad, the vexillar margin almost straight. 
Stamens monadelphous, the carinal one longer, the fiilaments sparsely villous, 
the anthers oblong. Ovary 1-ovulate, stipitate, provided at the base with a 
glabrous tubular disk nearly 1.5 mm, long, the fuscous pubescence increasing 
in length from the base to the apex; style glabrous, straight, slender, about 2.5 
mm. long. 
Legume not known. 
Type in the Gray Herbarium, collected in Santa Marta, Colombia, at an 
altitude of about 750 meters, 1898-1901, by H. H. Smith (no. 2038). 
Very closely allied to Machaerium seemannii Benth. and M. tovarense Pittier 
(below), but differing from both in the pubescence, the average number of 
leaflets, and the size and indument of the flowers. Future investigations, based 
on more copious and complete material, may show that these three forms are 
not specifically distinct. 
