Britton: Cuban Plants New to Science 81 



Maga cubensis Britton & Wilson, sp. nov. 



A tree, up to 15 m. high, the stout twigs densely and finely 

 lepidote. Leaves ovate-orbicular, deeply cordate, acute or acumi- 

 nate, coriaceous, entire, 6-12 cm. long, strongly palmately 5-7- 

 veined, the veins enlarged and united at the base beneath, dull and 

 finely reticulate-veined above, densely and finely lepidote beneath, 

 the terete, lepidote petioles 10 cm. long or less; flowers solitary 

 or clustered, on stout, lepidote peduncles 1-6 cm. long; calyx 

 subcampanulate, lepidote, about 12 mm. long, nearly truncate, 

 with 5 subulate teeth, circumscissile at the base and wholly de- 

 ciduous ; petals brown-yellow, rounded, finely many-veined, about 

 3 mm. long, densely lepidote without ; stamen-column about twice 

 as long as the petals ; stamens yellow. 



Coastal thickets, and low woodlands, Camaguey ; Santa Clara. 

 Type from Punta Diablo, Cienfuegos Bay, Santa Clara (Britton 

 & Wilson 6045). 



Family STERCULIACEAE 



Melochia savannarum Britton, sp. nov. 



A low, more or less prostrate undershrub, the young branches 

 finely stellate-pubescent, often with simple hairs intermixed ; 

 leaves ovate to broadly oval, 1-2 cm. long, 0.7-2 cm. broad, acute 

 or rounded at the apex, truncate, rounded or cordate at the base, 

 rather coarsely serrate, glabrous or loosely pubescent above with 

 simple and stellate hairs, more or less pubescent beneath ; petioles 

 3-5 mm. long ; flowers short-pedicelled ; calyx-teeth triangular- 

 subulate; petals narrowly obovate, 6.5-7 mm. long, 1.5-2 mm. 

 broad ; ovary tomentose. 



Savannas and along streams, Pinar del Rio. Type from Her- 

 radura, Pinar del Rio (Earle 639). 



Recorded by Grisebach as M. melissifolia Benth. and referred 

 by Wright to M. hirsuta Cav. 



Melochia nipensis Britton, sp. nov. 



Perennial ; herbaceous with a deep slender tap-root, branches 

 ascending or spreading, very slender, villous and tomentose, 2.5 

 dm. long or less. Leaves oval or oblong, 6-16 mm. long, 4-7 

 mm. wide, tomentose on both sides, obtuse at the apex, somewhat 

 narrowed at the base, serrulate, the villous petioles 2.5 mm. long 

 or less; flowers few, glomerate; bracts narrowly linear; calyx 

 about 3 mm. long, its lance-subulate teeth about as long as the 

 tube ; petals spatulate, yellow, 3 mm. long. 



