3074 



Leaflets of Philippine Botany 



[Vol. vni, Art. 121 



portion pinnately dissected; rachis very strong, rounded 

 beneath, caniculate above; segments varying from 3 to 

 8 cm. wide, equally wide throughout, the middle or average 

 ones 2 dm. long, paler beneath, apex obliquely truncate, 

 the basal corner rounded, the upper corner extended into 

 a falcate acuminate point, prominently 2 to 4 or even 

 5-veined, the lower surface minutely dotted, secondary 

 veins parallel and much less conspicuous, more or less 

 traversed by oblique lines. Spikes usually solitary, erect 

 from the ascending stout stalk, terminal, 2 dm. long more 

 or less, even and cylindric, about 2 cm. thick; drupes 

 closely set, 7 mm. long, columnar, 4 mm. thick, the api- 

 cal sunken portion quadrangular or pentagonal and with 

 a raised thickened rim, stigma mammillate and located 

 in the center; neck angular and composed of fibrous 

 bundles; seed at least 1.5 mm. long, light brown, com- 

 pressed, numerous, imbedded in the basal portion, oblong, 

 attached to filamentous threads, dispersing by the bursting 

 of the membranous ovary wall. 



Type specimen number 18057, A. D. E. Elmer, Los 

 Baflos (Mt. Maquiling), Province of Laguna, Luzon, June- 

 July, 1917. A forest tree climber along the humid creeks 

 in the vicinity of the boiling mud-snrings. 



Allied to Rhapkidophora grandifolia Krause, but our 

 shorter leaflets have usually three instead of two veins and 

 are without tubercular thickenings. 



ASCLEPIADACEAE 



Heterostemma herbertii Elm. n. 



sp. 



A suffrutescent vine, twining about small stems up 

 to 8 m. high- Stem 1.25 cm. thick, subterete though 

 with 2 longitudiual grooves on opposite sides, covered 

 by yellowish gray bark, branched mainly toward the 

 top, its soft woody tissue is pale white; branches glabrous, 

 wiry, long, green, usually opposite. Leaves also opposite, 

 entirely glabrous, easily becoming detached, ovate to 

 ovately elliptic, horizontal or descending, flat and co- 

 riaceous, the basal or older blades 2 dm. long by 

 15 cm. wide, broadly rounded or shallowly cordate, ob 

 tuse but with a sharp apical point, upon 5 cm. long 

 stout petioles which are usually twisted at the base, the 

 top leaves much smaller and upon relatively short peti- 

 oles, lighter green beneath, the conspicuous midrib with 

 5 to 7 lateral nerves on each side, reticulations coarse 

 and quite evident, entire. Inflorescence ascending, axil- 

 lary, glabrous, upon stout green somewhat compressed 



