The Philippine Journal of Science, C. Botany. 

 Vol. XI, No. 4, August, 1916. 



NEW PLANTS FROM SAMAR 



By E. D. Merrill 1 

 (From the Botanical Section of the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Science, 



Manila, P. I.) 



The present paper is devoted to the description of new species 

 of plants from Samar, chiefly from the collections made by M. 

 Ramos and G. Edano, of the Bureau of Science, in northern 

 Samar in February and March, 1916. Thirty-two new species 

 are proposed and described in the families Araceae, Urticaceae, 

 Opiliaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Amaranthaceae, Annonaceae, Myr- 

 isticaceae, Lauraceae, Burseraceae, Meliaceae, Ewphorbiaceae, 

 Anacardiaceae, Sapindaceae, Vitaceae, Tiliaceae, Sterculiaceae, 

 Theaceae, Guttiferae, Flacourtiaceae, Myrtaceae, Loganiaceae, 

 Verbenaeeae, and Acanthaceae. 



Perhaps the most interesting single addition to the Philippine 

 flora is the genus Petersia of the Lecythidaceae, for which the 

 new generic designation Petersianthus is proposed below. The 

 genus was previously known only from tropical Africa, where it 

 is represented by two species. The discovery of a third species 

 of this caracteristic genus in the Philippines is of special in- 

 terest. It was originally described as a species of Terminalw, 

 the material on which it was based presenting only leaves and 

 old fruits. The recently collected Samar material presents two 

 specimens with flowers, so that it has been possible from a study 

 of these to determine its proper position. 



ARACEAE 



POTHOS Linnaeus 

 POT H OS ACUMINATISSIMUS sp. nov. § Allopothos, Longivaginati. 



Scandens, glabra, internodiis 3 ad 7 cm longis ; foliis oblongis 

 ad oblongo-lanceolatis, chartaceis, in siccitate pallidis, utrinque 

 minute papillulatis, usque ad 25 cm longis, leviter inaequilate- 

 ralibus, basi acutis, apice tenuiter caudato-acuminatis, nervis 

 collectivis utrinque 2, tenuibus, lateralibus numerosis ; peduncu- 

 lis solitariis, elongatis, quam petiolo longioribus ; spathis oblongis, 

 circiter 6 cm longis et 1.2 cm latis, tenuiter caudato-acuminatis, 



1 Associate professor of botany, University of the Philippines. 



175 



