E. L. EKMAN, WEST INDIAN VERNONIiE. 53 



collected in St. Croix and in Montserrat {Conyza glabra Willd. 

 resembles this), the other having small, obtuse leaves (dim. 

 2 ? 7 5 x 1,6 2,5 cm), which are very often curled or undu- 

 lated at the margin. The heads of this form are small, denseby 

 crowded towards the top of the naked peduncles, and 

 subtended by great bracteal leaves. It is the form of St. 

 Thomas and St. Jan. The type specimen of V. Thomce Benth., 

 however, does not belong to this form, rather to V. albicaulis 

 sensu strict. 



3. The type of V. emarginata Wikstr. Leaves small 

 (dim. 2,5 X 1,3 cm), thinly pubescent or nearly glabrous, 

 obtuse or somewhat emarginated at the top, rufous-green 

 (the branches are often rufous-tomentose). Heads small, 

 6 mm high or so, densely crowded in the top of naked peduncles 

 forming a rounded inflorescence, or scattered along more 

 elongated cymes. Pappus brown or tawny. The range of 

 this form extends from St. Martin to Guadeloupe. How- 

 ever, V. albicaulis sensu strict, seems to live within this range, 

 in Montserrat. Perhaps the locality of the specimen in ques- 

 tion, collected by West, is an error. 



Also of this form specimens have been seen having very 

 large leaves (dim. 11X4,5 cm) and many-flowered inflores- 

 cence. So Ryan and West from St. Croix (? ) and St. Kitts. 



4. The type of V. longifolia Pers. Leaves lanceolate, 

 1 dm long, 3 4 cm broad, acute, glabrous or very nearly 

 so, olivaceous above, pale and somewhat shining beneath. 

 Heads small, 67 mm high, numerous in a broadly pyram- 

 idal inflorescence. Pappus tawny, not dense. So in Gua- 

 deloupe and Dominica. 



I have not seen the type specimen of V. longifolia Pers., 

 this probably being in the Desfontaines Herbarium at Flo- 

 rence. I therefore cannot decide if it belongs to the form 

 just described, or to the following. The very name of the 

 species, however, applies very well to the form described, and 

 since it is the more common one, and always has been considered 

 as the genuine V. longifolia, I think it must be that species. 



5. The type of V. punctata Sw. Differs from the pre- 

 ceding in having large heads and white, stiff pappus. The 

 type specimen of V. punctata Sw. has rather narrowed leaves 

 (dim. 6 7 X 1,2 1,4 cm) and somewhat crowded heads. 

 Other specimens examined have wider leaves and up to 6 



