v 296 MERRILL. 



the same color on both surfaces, entire or obscurely repand above, the 



apex rather abruptly acuminate, the base usually broad, rounded or sub- 

 truncate, and with two glands either on the margins at the juncture with 

 the petiole, or on the petiole itself; basal nerves 5, the outer shorter pair 

 from the very base of the leaf, the inner and longer more prominent pair 

 Leaving the midrib a short distance above the base and extending to 

 beyond the middle, the lateral nerves above the basal ones two or three 

 on each side of the midrib, ascending, prominent, anastomosing, the 

 reticulations distinct, rather lax; petioles 2.5 to 4.5 cm long. Racemes 

 in the upper axils, solitary, in flower 2.5 to 3.5 cm long, few-flowered, in 

 fruit somewhat longer, densely gray-pubescent, the pedicels 5 to 8 mm 

 long, longer in fruit. Petals and sepals scarcely distinct, and irregularly 

 arranged, the sepals 4 or 5, ovate, acute or slightly acuminate, 10 mm 

 long, (i mm wide, densely pubescent outside, strongly imbricate, the outer 

 two or three entirely free, the inner two or three more or less united 

 with the petals and usually staminiferous ; petals 10 to 15, similar to the 

 sepals, and like them densely gray-pubescent, of equal length but. narrower, 

 gradually narrower inwards, the innermost ones linear and only 1 to 1.5 

 mm wide, all more or less imbricate and all connate below. Stamens 

 indefinite, inserted on the base of the petals and on the inner sepals: 

 filaments very slender, elongated, very slightly united at the base, 6 to 

 K> nun long; anthers minute, longitudinally dehiscing, less than 0.5 mm 

 long. Ovary free, densely gray-pubescent, slightly stipitate, ovoid or 

 ellipsoid, narrowed at both ends, 1-celled, with 5 parietal placentae, each 

 bearing numerous ovules; style simple, terminal, glabrous or slightly 

 pubescent at the base, 2 to 4 mm long; stigma minute, subdisciform or 

 obscurely 3-lobed, not larger than the style. Fruit crustaeeous, indehis- 

 cent, ovoid or ellipsoid, 1.5 to 2 cm long, apiculate, densely gray-pubes- 

 cent, obscurely longitudinally ribbed; seeds many, obovoid, often irreg- 

 ularly compressed, black, shining, the testa crustaeeous, the albumen 

 fleshy. Rarely flowers are found with an imperfect ovary which is nearly 

 glabrous, and contains no ovules. 



Luzon, Province of Tayabas, Mount Banajao, For. Bur. 8039 Outran <£• Mcrritt, 

 November, 1907, in forests at an altitude of about 000 in, in flower: Province 

 of Rizal, Bosoboso, For. Bur. 2005 Ahern's collector, November, 1904, with nearly 

 mature fruits: Province of Bataan, Lamao River, Williams SSI, January, 1903, 

 with mature fruits, in forests at an altitude of about 110 m. 



This new genus is somewhat anomalous, but seems to be most closely allied 

 to Oncoba Forsk., differing in its hermaphrodite flowers, its inner perianth lobes 

 smaller than the outer ones, the stamens slightly united and inserted on the 

 petals and sepals, its racemose inflorescence, etc. In its perianth characters 

 it seems also to approach Pyramidocarpus Oliver, of Africa, but is quite different 

 from that genus in other floral characters. 



The above new genus is dedicated to Major George P. Ahern, Director of 

 Forestry for the Philippine Islands, in commemoration of his active interest in. 

 and strong support of botanical investigations in the Archipelago during the 

 past nine years. 



