Gleason: Studies on West Indian Vernonieae 315 



striking common feature here is the broad, rugose or bullate leaf 

 with reticulate venation, closely invested beneath by a dense 

 tomentum. In the Jamaican species-group Permolles, with simi- 

 larly bullate or rugose leaves, the pubescence is densely sericeous- 

 hirsute rather than closely tomentose, and in V. yutiquensis the 

 character of the involucral scales separates the species at once. 

 The seven species may be distinguished as follows: 



I. Santo Domingan species; leaves oblong-ovate, truncate or 

 subcordate at base, obtuse, repand ; bracteal leaves not 

 reduced; cymes very flexuous. 

 II. Cuban species. 



A. Inner involucral scales obtuse or rounded; leaves 



ovate-lanceolate. 



B. Inner involucral scales sharply acute or acuminate. 



i. Leaves oval to elliptic-oblong, obtuse or narrowed 

 at the base, rugose and finely papillose- 

 pubescent above. 



a. Leaves more than half as broad as long, very 



blunt or rounded at the apex; straggling 

 plant with white flowers. 



b. Leaves less than half as broad as long, nar- 



rowed to an obtuse or subacute apex; plant 

 erect, with light blue flowers. 

 2. Leaves of a lanceolate or ovate type, broadest near 

 the truncate or subcordate base, strongly 

 bullate and rugose above. 



a. Leaves acute or barely obtuse, gray-tomentose 



beneath; inflorescence loose; cymes elon- 

 gated; inner involucral scales broadest just 

 below the middle. 



b. Leaves obtuse or rounded; inflorescence com- 



pact; cymes abbreviated; inner invo- 

 lucral scales broadest near the base. 

 * Leaves ovate-oblong, crenate or repand, 

 brown-tomentose beneath; involucre 

 densely pubescent; inner scales merely 

 acute. 

 ** Leaves broadly ovate or oval, entire or 

 somewhat revolute, closely gray- 

 tomentose beneath; involucre thinly 

 pubescent or glabrate; inner scales 

 sharply acuminate. 



Vernonia fruticosa. 



Vernonia desiliens. 



Vernonia calophylla. 



Vernonia vicina. 



Vernonia neglecta. 



Vernonia calida. 



Vernonia semitalis. 



Vernonia fruticosa (L.) Sw. Fl. Ind. Occ. 3: 1323. 1806. 



Stem very slender, freely and loosely branched, glabrous or 

 puberulent in the inflorescence; leaves firm, ovate-oblong, 1-2 cm. 



