630 STAND ley: notes on orthopterygium huaucui 



1914, at an altitude of about 1800 meters at Goatherd Camp, 

 Chosica Canyon, in the mountains northwest of the town of 

 Chosica, Peru. The soil here consists of gravel and rock detritus. 

 Soil and atmospheric humidity are practically nothing in the cool 

 season, which extends from May to December. At this period 

 the temperature is from 70 to 75°F. during the day, and 60 to 

 65° at night, the lowest temperature being probably not under 

 45°. In the warm season, lasting from January to April, there 

 is a precipitation of perhaps 4 to 6 inches. The vegetation is 

 very scanty, being confined to 3 species of columnar Cereus and 

 a few shrubs and composites in the bed of the canyon. The ani- 

 mal life, likewise, is limited, only a few arid forms of vertebrates 

 and insects being present. 



Orthopterygium forms an extensive patch on a north slope near 

 the top of the bench in the south side of the canyon, being scat- 

 tered over an area several hundred yards in diameter, many of 

 the trees lying dead on the summit of the northwest exposure 

 of the bench. The plant is a shrub or small tree, 1 to 2.5 meters 

 high, with spreading, brittle, ''fat" twigs and branches having 

 a milky latex. It was not in leaf the first of June, but the stami- 

 nate flowers were present, dark red and pendent, as well as the 

 green or reddish, pendent fruits. 



The flowers received by the National Herbarium agree in 

 every respect with those illustrated in Hemsley's monograph. 

 The fruits are 6 to 7 cm. long, 11 to 16 mm. wide, and slightl}^ 

 pubescent. Like those of Juliania they are of a very curious 

 structure; the pedicel becomes in age broad and flat and some- 

 what spongy, and sunken in its apex is borne the involucre which 

 incloses the three flowers. The whole has the appearance of 

 some samaroid fruit inverted, and the casual observer of the 

 detached fruits might easily take the terminal involucre for a 

 basal point of attachment. 



The fruits of Dr. Townsend's specimens are so nearly mature 

 as to show" the characters of the seeds, which were not known be- 

 fore. Of the three ovaries in each involucre only one develops. 

 The seed is pendent, attached laterally near the apex; it is 

 strongly compressed, in outline narrowly ovate-acuminate, taper- 



