48 

 URTICACEiE. 



1. LAPORTEA Gaudich. 



J. L. luzonensis (Wedd.) Wail., in Perk. Frag. Fl. Philip. (1905) 168. 

 Ijaporlca vrcnulata Caud. var. luzonensis Wedd. 



(2(>:il %tr) February; (Whitford). En forests at 500 m. Endemic. 

 2. L. crenulata (Roxb.) Gaud.; Weld, in DC. Prodr. 16 (1869) 1: 85. 

 (2850 Meyer) March. In forests at '.too rn. British India and Malaya. 



2. PILEA Lindl. 



I. P. luzonensis sp, nov. 



Glabrous erect, 1 in. high or less, the stems slender. Leaves opposite, lan- 

 ceolate, long petioled, in unequal pairs, the leaves of each pair similar in shape, 

 but, one about one-half the size of the other, serrate throughout, the inflorescence 

 not exceeding the petioles. Leaves glabrous, membranous, strongly 3-nerved, tin 1 

 apex long acuminate, narrowed below to the acute, slightly obtuse or even 

 Obscurely narrowly cordate base, the larger ones 11 to 14 cm. long, 3 to 4 cm. 

 wide, the smaller ones of each pair about one half as large; petioles slender, 

 3 to 4 cm. long; stipules very short; cross nervules many, curved, rather prom- 

 inent beneath. Dioecious. Female inflorescence congested, axillary, less than 

 1 cm. long, sepals 3, very unequal, one about 1 mm. long, the other two very 

 much smaller, scarcely embracing the achene. Achene ovate, slightly inequi- 

 lateral, flattened, 1 mm. long. Male inflorescence short peduncled, the branches 

 slender, 3 to 4 cm. long, the flowers in scattered fascicles 3 to 4 mm. in diameter, 

 each fascicle 10 to 20 flowered. Sepals 4, oblong-oblaneeolate, about 1.5 mm. long. 

 Stamens 4; filaments slender; anthers about 0.5 mm. long. 



(279, 1129 Whitford) May, March. Common in the canon of the Lamao River 

 on damp shaded banks, 800 to 1,000 m. 



3. ELATOSTEMA Foist. 



1. E. long ifoli urn Wedd.; DC. Prodr. 16 (1869) 1: 184. 



(Whitford) May. Common on wet shaded banks along streams, 500 to 600 m. 

 Endemic. 



2. E. sessile Foist, var. brongniartianum Wedd. 1. c. 173. 



(174 Whitford) May; (288 Copeland) February. Common on wet shaded 

 banks along the river, 250 to 600 m. The species widely distributed in tropical 

 Asia and Malaya, the variety endemic. 



3. E. whitfordii Merrill, n. sp. 



A succulent, erect, herbaceous or somewhat sufl'rutescent plant 1 to 2 m. high, 

 with large alternate glabrous leaves, and very short peduncled or sessile fleshy 

 hemispherical receptacles 1 to 2 cm. in diameter. Branches glabrous, succulent, 

 striate when dry. slightly zigzag. Leaves oblong 18 to 22 cm. long. 7 to 9 cm. 

 wide, pale green, inequilateral, slightly falcate, the lamina on one side of the 

 midrib about three-fifths as wide as the portion on the other side, the apex 

 sharply acuminate, the base acute, inequilateral, glabrous, membranous, the upper 

 surface with numerous small irregularly disposed eistoliths, the lower surface 

 with eistoliths only on the reticulations and veins, margins rather strongly 

 serrate-dentate throughout, except near the base which is subentire; lateral nerves 

 11 to 14 on each side of the midrib, prominent beneath, ascending, branched above 

 but. scarcely anastomosing; petioles glabrous, about 1 cm. long; stipules mem- 

 branous, glabrous, deciduous, narrowly lanceolate, long acuminate, 3 cm. long. 



