E. L. EKMAN, WEST INDIAN VERNONIA. 9 



As to the description and distribution of the species 

 I refer to Urban, 1. c. 



The genus Critoniopsis Sch.-Bip. was based upon a plant 

 from Columbia, Critoniopsis Lindenii Sch.-Bip., nearly re- 

 lated to Piptocarpha triflora Bennet from Guyana. Now 

 Piptocarpha tetrantha is said to be closely allied to P. triflora, 

 and hence I conclude, without having seen specimens of Ur- 

 ban 's plant, that it is a Critoniopsis. This genus has always 

 been considered a section of Vernonia. It differs from the 

 genuine Vernoniae of the section Lepidaploa in having, as 

 a rule, few-flowered heads, caducous inner involucral scales 

 and acute basal lobes of the anthers. There exist, certainly, 

 forms intermediate between Critoniopsis and Eremosis (DC.) 

 Gleason, for instance, V. (Eremosis Gleason) Heydeana 

 Coulter, so that the species of Eremosis must be referred 

 to Critoniopsis. Some specimens of Eremosis have persistent 

 inner scales. The Brazilian species of Critoniopsis, for instance, 

 V. discolor Less., have throughout typical Vernonia-ini lores - 

 cence as well as many-flowered heads. Many genuine Lepida- 

 ploae have acute basal lobes of the anthers. It will be seen 

 that there is no character to distinguish Critoniopsis generic - 

 ally from Vernonia. 



The genuine Piptocarphae have a characteristic inflores- 

 cence, dense axillary clusters of heads, and differ in habit widely 

 from Critoniopsis. However, there are genuine Vernonise 

 having the same inflorescence as Piptocarpha, for instance, 

 V . Vauthierana DC. (referred erroneously by Baker in Fl. 

 Bras, to Piptocarpha/). It seems to me as if Piptocarpha should 

 be made a section of Vernonia, having been primarily con- 

 sidered so by Lessing and De Candolle. 



Sect. Lepidaploa (Cass.) DC. 



Conspectus subsectioiium antillanaruni. 



I. Inflorescentia cymoso-scorpioidea, calathidiis bracteis fo- 

 liaceis suffultis. 

 A. Achsenia glaberrima. 



1. Inflorescentia cymis elongatis. Suffrutices inferne 

 simplices, foliis magnis, membranaceis vel subcori- 

 aceis. Species in Antillis majoribus (Cuba et 

 Hispaniola), nee non in Brasilia vigentes. 



S u b s e c t . Sagrceance . 



