Botanical Museum Leaflets 

 Spring 1984 



Vol. 30, No. 2 



A NEW SPECIES OF PRUNUS FROM COLOMBIA 



Richard Evans Schultes and Hernando GarcIa-Barriga 



This beautiful shrubby species of Prunus from the highland 

 area of central Colombia has been introduced to cultivation in the 

 gardens of the Instituto de Ciencias Naturales of the Universidad 

 Nacional in Bogota. We believe that it is worthy of more general- 

 ized use as an ornamental in regions appropriate for its growth. 



We take great pleasure in naming this species in honour of His 

 Excellency, Dr. Belisario Betancur, President of the Republic of 

 Colombia, in recognition of his long interest in the furtherance of 

 investigations in the natural sciences in his country. 



Prunus Betancurii R. E. Schultes et H. Garcia- Barriga spec. nov. 



Frutex debilis, usque ad 10 ped. altus, leviter ramosus. Folia 

 ramique juvenales rubelli. Ramuli abundantis cum lenticellis 

 ornati. Folia viridia, firme papyracea, elliptica, base rotundata, 

 apice plerumque obtuse et breviter acuminata, non marginata, 

 margine vivo undulata, siccitate 4.5-6.5 cm. longa, 2.5-3.5 cm. 

 lata, supra nitidula, nervo centrale bene impresso, infra pallida, 

 nervo centrale valde elevato; petiolus 4-5 mm. longus. Inflores- 

 centiae axillares, 4-6 cm. longae, praeter partem basilarem multi- 

 florae. Flores: pedicellus comparate robustior, 3-4 mm. longus; 

 calyx viridulus, crassus, tubo 2 mm. longo, glabro, lobis 1 mm. 

 longis, triangularibus, acutis; petala alba sed basi rosea, mem- 

 branacea, vivo paullo cucullata, rotundata, margine plus minusve 

 irregulares, plerumque 3 mm. longa, 2.5-3 mm. lata; stamina 

 flava, usque ad 1.8 mm. longa, filamentis basi paullo dilatatis, 

 antheris conspicuis, variabiliter 0.8 mm. longis; ovarium elonga- 

 tum, gratatim ad stylum contractum, basi 0.8 mm. in diametro; 

 stylo brunneolo (ovario cum stylo usque ad 4 mm. longo); stigma 

 conspicuum carnosum, capitatum, 0.5 mm. latum. Fructus car- 

 nosus, globosus, apice breviter rostellatus, 8-10 mm. in di- 

 ametro. 



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