Oct. 22, 1919] 



New Woody Plants from Mt. Maquiling 



3089 



LORANTHACEAE 



Viscum loranthi Elm. 



n. sp. 



Parasitic upon parasites. Host more or less swollen 

 at the point of attachment, excavated and apparently 

 in a semi-rotten state and is inhabited by small black ants. 

 Stems in scattered clusters, up to 15 cm. in length, 

 usually branched from near the base, divaricately spread- 

 ing, flexible, terete, yellowish green, subligneous only 

 at the very base, otherwise herbaceous, usually a trifle 

 thinner at the basal ends; branches at right angles, nodu- 

 lose every 5 to 15 mm., all the nodes 5 ram. thick more 

 or less; the internodes longest at the base, expanded 

 at the articulated ends, glabrous but apparently somewhat 

 velvety, smooth, striately ridged when dry. the young 

 apical points tapering and lighter green, breaking up 

 at the joints. Flowers in dense fascicles or interrupted 

 circles from around the distal end of each internode, 

 very pale or yellowish green, sessile, coriaceous, gla- 

 brous, subtended by a leathery cupular bract; ovary 

 ellipsoid, concentrically rugose, very thick, covered with 

 minute glistening papillae, terminated by 4 short acute 

 smooth lobes; stigma darker green, subcapitate, in the 

 throat of the lobes, smooth and shining. Fruit subglo- 

 bose, 3 mm. in diameter, soft, whitish and papillosely 

 glistening, the persistent lobes usually yellowish green; 

 seed solitary in each fruit, imbedded in a white slightly 

 viscous meat, tick-like, shining green. 



Type specimen number 17777, A. D. E. Elmer, Los 

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

 July, 1917. Upon Loranthus estipitatm Stapf of the parang 

 formation. 



This double parasitism on different members of the 

 same family has been observed in various islands, and 

 although it has a wide range and infests different species 

 of Loranthus, it is more common in our immediate vicinity 

 than in any other locality. 



MELASTOMATACEAE 



Melastoma holmani Elm. n. sp. 



A suberect shrub 1 to 2 m. high. Branchlets crooked, 

 rather lax, grayish white scale covered especially along 

 the somewhat compressed young tips. Leaves submenu 

 branous, opposite, quite variably in size, upon 1 to 2 

 cm. long petioles whose upper side is covered with brown 



