xi, c, i Merrill: Plants from Sorsogon Province, Luzon 35 



floribus 5-meris, extus dense hirsutis, corollae tubo 3 cm longo, 

 sepalis late lanceolatis, circiter 2 cm longis, persistentibus, sepala 

 foliacea circiter 7 cm longa. 



A shrub or small tree, 3 to 4 m high, most parts prominently 

 hirsute with stiff, spreading, pale-brownish hairs, the branches 

 terete, brown. Leaves in equal or subequal pairs, membra- 

 naceous, olivaceous, ovate, 10 to 20 cm long, 6 to 10 cm wide, 

 the midribs and lateral nerves of both surfaces prominently 

 hirsute with spreading hairs, apex acuminate, base equilateral, 

 attenuate; lateral nerves about 11 on each side of the midrib, 

 prominent; petioles proper 1 to 2 cm long, hirsute. Panicles 

 terminal, ample, prominently spreading-hirsute, up to 20 cm in 

 diameter, with numerous, crowded, subpersistent bracts and 

 bracteoles, the flowers 5-merous, somewhat crowded on the 

 ultimate branchlets; bracts and bracteoles similar, lanceolate, 

 acuminate, hirsute, 6 to 13 cm long, the former sometimes cleft 

 or trifid with lateral lobes much smaller than the central one. 

 Calyx tube narrowly ovoid, densely hirsute with stiff, spreading, 

 2 mm long hairs, 8 to 9 mm long, the lobes persistent, broadly 

 lanceolate, acuminate, hirsute outside, sparingly pubescent inside, 

 about 2 cm long and 6 mm wide, the foliaceous one ovate to 

 elliptic ovate, about 7 cm long and 4 cm wide, sparingly hirsute, 

 acute or obscurely acuminate, base acute, prominently nerved 

 and reticulate. Corolla tube cylindric, rather stout, densely 

 hirsute outside, 3 cm long, the limb about 13 mm in diameter, 

 spreading or recurved, the lobes broadly ovate, glabrous inside, 

 obtuse or acute, about 5 mm long. 



Luzon, Province of Sorsogon, Mount Pocdal, Bur. Sci. 23585 Ramos, 

 August 10, 1915, on damp slopes in open forests. Apparently also referable 

 here is a fruiting specimen from the same mountain, Bur. Sci. 23715 

 Ramos, collected August 6, 1915. 



The alliance of this species is with Mussaenda philippinensis Merr., in 

 the section with persistent sepals. It differs from that species, however, in 

 its more prominent indumentum, its much broader bracts and bracteoles, 

 broader persistent sepals, stouter, densely hirsute, longer corolla tube, 

 broader limb, and longer corolla lobes. 



