Botanical Museum Leaflets 



Sl'MMER 1983 



Vol. 29, No. 3 



NEW SPECIES OF ERYTHROXYLUM 

 FROM BRAZIL AND VENEZUELA 



Timothy Plowman' 



Erythroxylum Leal-cosiae Plowman, E. occu/ium Plowman and E. 

 hypoleucum Plowman are described and illustrated, and their 

 ecology and taxonomic relationships discussed. Erythroxylum 

 Leal-costae and E. occultum are known only from urban areas in 

 Brazil and are pointed out as endangered species. 



As a result of taxonomic studies of the genus Erythroxylum in 

 preparation of a treatment for Flora Neotropica, numerous 

 undescribed species have been discovered, particularly from 

 Brazil and Venezuela. A number of these are known only from 

 urban areas and other environments rapidly undergoing habitat 

 destruction. It is the purpose of this paper to call attention to two 

 of these species from Brazil— £. Leal-costae from Salvador, 

 Bahia, and E. occultum from Rio de Janeiro— in order to under- 

 score their endangered status. 



Erythroxylum (sect. Rhabdophyllum) Leal-costae Plowman, sp. 



now 



Frutex dense ramosus. Ramuli crassi et rigidi. Stipulae coria- 

 ceae, persistentes, striatae, 3-setulosae. Folia ad apices brachy- 

 blastorum producta, brevissime petiolata; laminae ellipticae vel 

 late obovatae, apice rotundatae, retusae vel emarginatae, coria- 

 ceae. Flores fasciculati in axillis foliorum a brachyblastis horno- 

 tinis producti, pedicello brevi et incrassato. Petali lamina concava, 

 late ovata. Urceolus stamineus quam calyx paulo longior, ad 

 marginem 10-denticulatus. Drupa anguste ovoidea, endocarpio 

 subtereti, dorsaliter 3-sulculato, apice acuto, ad maturitatem uni- 

 loculari, endospermio abundanti. 



'Associate Curator, Botany Department, Field Museum of Natural History. Chicago, 

 Illinois and Research Associate in Economic Botany, Botanical Museum of Harvard 

 University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 



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