652 GrIGGS: SPECIES OF HELICONIA 
the base, glabrous on both sides except for the midrib which is 
somewhat hairy, slightly glaucous below: inflorescence borne at 
the summit of a long (60 cm.) peduncle ; lowest bract, which is 
sterile, and sometimes the next, expanded into leaves which may 
attain a large size ; branch-bracts 8—10, rich orange, rachis green- 
ish-orange; bracts narrowly lanceolate ; one from the middle is 
15 cm. long, 3-4 cm. broad (dry): flowers very small, entirely 
hidden below the edges of the bracts, 30-35 mm. long, subtended 
by triangular-ovate bracts of about the same length and 12-15 
mm. broad, pedicels apparently not pubescent as they are described 
in H. latispatha and there is no hair on any part of the inflores- 
cence: ©.(Fic. 1.) 
Secanquim, about half way between Senaju and Cahabon (72. 
262, photographs 728, 729). It is very abundant on the hillsides 
around Secanquim, where it occupies the same place in the plant 
societies as does //, /ortuosa higher up about Sepacuite. 
Donnell Smith, wo. 7829, Rio Dulce, Dept. Livingston. In 
this specimen, which is more mature than ours, even good sized 
fruits are very short-pedicelled and barely look over the edges of 
the narrow branch-bracts. 
The panicle is oblong in outline like that of /. zortuosa, to 
which the present plant is closely related. As in that species the 
branch-bracts are not truly distichous, but are only approximately 
opposite and the rachis is strongly flexuose. But the peduncle is 
much longer, so that the inflorescence though originating at about 
the same part of the plant is much higher up; instead of being 
half way down the stem it is about level with the bases of the 
leaves. 
2\° Heliconia spissa sp. nov. 
‘Plant about 2 m. long, with a habit like /7. Borinquena (f. 3)» 
leaning over with its leaves all horizontal : blade 75 cm. long, 20 ©™. 
wide, oblong-oval, acute at the tip, rounded to the base, green and 
glabrous except for the under side of the midrib which bears more 
or less coarse brown hair; main nerves only 3 mm. apart — 
whence the name: inflorescence practically sessile (on 4 pe- 
duncle only 25 mm. long), stiffly erect, thickly covered with soft 
short brown hair except on the edges and channels of the ca 
rachis straight, hardly flexuose ; branch-bracts distant from eac 
other by more than their own depth except near the tip of the 
panicle, oblong-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, the lowest !7 cm. 
long, 1.5 cm. broad; lowest fertile bract 8 cm. long,. 1-5 cm. 
