xni, c. s Merrill: Noteworthy Philippine Plants 301 



VAVAEA AMICORUM Benth. in Hook. Lond. Journ. Bot. 2 (1843) 212; 

 A. Gray Bot. Wilkes U. S. Explor. Exped. (1884) 44, t. 16, f. B. 



LUZON, Zambales Province, For. Bur. 6503 Aguilar, Hallier s. n.: 

 Nueva Ecija Province, For. Bur. 22354 Alvarez, Bur. Sci. 12316 Foxworthy: 

 Batangas Province, For. Bur. 7680 Merritt & Curran. Mindoro, For. Bur. 

 9811 Merritt. Negros, For. Bur. 22892 Vergara & Car dona. Samar, For. 

 Bur. 22688 Oro, Bur. Sci. 17574 Ramos. BASILAN, Bur. Sci. 16312 Reillo, 

 For. Bur. 9524 Hutchinson. Jolo, For. Bur. 22532 Klemme. Palawan, 

 Elmer 12970, as Vavaea harveyi Seem. 



My conception of Vavaea amicorum Benth. is based on the descriptions 

 and Gray's figure cited above. The Philippine specimens, some of which 

 have been referred to Vavaea harveyi Seem., appear to me to agree much 

 better with the characters of Bentham's species than with Seemann's. 



VAVAEA SURIGAOENSIS Elm. Leafl. Philip. Bot. 8 (1915) 2768. 



In addition to the two specimens cited by Mr. Elmer in the original 

 description, I refer here the following: 



Luzon, Tayabas Province, Bur. Sci. 20846 Escritor, Bur. Sci. 13208 Fox- 

 worthy & Ramos, Bur. Sci. 19414, 19470 Ramos. Samar, Bur. Sci. 17482 

 Ramos. Mindanao, Surigao Province, Placer, Ahem 405. 



The species is very closely allied to both Vavaea harveyi Seem, and V. 

 amicorum Benth. and is by no means always easy to distinguish from the 

 latter as interpreted above. 



VAVAEA ARDISIOIDES Elm. Leafl. Philip. Bot. 8 (1915) 2767. 



This is very similar to Vavaea amicorum Benth., but with much smaller 

 leaves. 



VAVAEA RETUSA sp. nov. 



Arbor circiter 15 m alta, partibus junioribus et inflorescentiis 

 exceptis glabra; foliis obovatis, perspicue retusis, basi angusta- 

 tis, acutis, usque ad 12 cm longis, nervis utrinque 8 ad 10, rectis, 

 distinctis; inflorescentiis axillaribus, solitariis, pedunculatis, 

 circiter 4 cm longis, fructibus parcissime pilosis. 



A tree about 15 m high. Branches terete, brownish or gray- 

 ish, wrinkled when dry, glabrous, the branchlets rather promin- 

 ently pubescent with subappressed olivaceous-brownish hairs, 

 a similar indumentum on the petioles and inflorescence. Leaves 

 chartaceous, obovate, pale when dry, shining, glabrous, or the 

 midrib sparingly pubescent, 6 to 12 cm long, 5 to 7.5 cm wide, 

 base broadly rounded and prominently retuse, gradually nar- 

 rowed from about the upper one-third to the acute base ; lateral 

 nerves 8 to 10 on each side of the midrib, straight, slightly 

 ascending, distinct; petioles about 8 mm long. Cymes axillary, 

 solitary, in fruit about 4 cm long, pubescent, each bearing few 

 fruits, the branches few, short. Persistent calyx pubescent 

 externally, the teeth broad, acute. Fruits subglobose, purplish 

 when fresh, brownish when dry, about 8 mm in diameter, 

 externally very sparingly pubescent. 



