Tas. 8453. 
COLUMNEA 1 GLABRa. 
— 
Costa Riea. 
GESNERIACEAE. ‘Tribe CyRTANDREAE. 
CoLumyga, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. vol. ii. p. 1009. 
Columnea (Eucolumnea) glabra, Oerst. Centralamericas Gesneraceer, p. 62; 
Hanst. in Linuuea, vol. xxxiv. p. 403; species foliis elliptico-oblongis 
carnosis glabris, calycis segmentis erectis ligularibus distincta. 
Fruticulus 0°5 m. altus, ramosus, caule crasso inferne circiter 1 em. diamctro, 
ramulis satis nodosis 3-4 mm. diameiro inferne nudis superne fuoliatis, 
internodiis 0°4-2 cm. longis. Folia opposita, versus apices ramulorum 
ageregata, breviter petiolata, elliptico-oblonga, obtusa, 2°5-3 cm. longa, 
1-1-4 ecm. lata, carnosa, supra convexa nervo medio impresso, nervis 
lateralibus occultis, subtus pallidiora perinconspicue punctata, margine 
parce inconspicue ciliolata ceterum glabra. Flores singuli in axillis 
superioribus. Pedicelli basi bibracteati, 5-7 mm.longi. Bracteae ligulares, 
obtusae, circiter 8 mm. longae. Ca/ycis segmenta erecta, ligularia, obtusa, 
1-2-1°3 cm. longa, 4-5 mm. lata, parce pilosula. Corolla in alabastro 
apice acute cuspidata, in toto 7-7°5 cm. longa, extra pilis capitatis breviter 
inconspicue hirsuta; tubus 4-4°5 cm. longus, sursum sensim ampliatus ; 
lobus anticus deflexus, lanceolatus, circiter 1-3 cm. longus, marginibus 
revolutis; lobi laterales e basi deltoidea angustati, retrorsi, marginibus 
revolutis; galea supra lobos laterales 1°5-2 cm. producta marginibus 
leviter reflexis. Filamenta inferne in vaginam brevem antice connata, 
minute pilosa; antheras oblongae, in quadram cohaerentes. Disct 
glandula unica, postica, 2 mm. longa, retusa. Ovarium sericeo-tomento- 
sum; stylus glanduloso-pilosus. acca calyce persistente suffulta, alba, 
depresso-globosa, 1°3 cm. diametro, pubescens.—T. A. SPRAGUE. 
The Columnea which we here figure is a native of Costa 
Rica, where it appears to be one of the commonest species 
of the genus, and is certainly one of the most beautiful. It 
is a native of the cooler mountain tracts, and has been 
recorded as occurring at altitudes of 5000-6000 feet above 
sea-level. In his work ‘La subregion fitographica costi- 
ricense’ Dr. Wercklé informs us that the Costa Rica Colum- 
neas may be segregated into pseudo-epiphytic species, with 
large leaves and insignificant flowers, and true epiphytes, 
with small leaves and large flowers. The latter group 
includes a few species whose stems creep along the stems 
and. branches of trees, emitting at the nodes adventitious 
roots by which they are attached to the bark, and a larger 
group with free stems, sometimes, as 11 the case of C. miero- 
September, 1912. 
