mm. in diametro, quinque cum stigmatibus sessilibus. 
Capsulae usque ad 3.5—4 cm. longae, 0.5 cm. in diametro, 
apicem versus anguste falcatae. 
Largest of the five known species of this endemic 
Colombian genus, Rhytidanthera regalis appears to be 
somewhat intermediate between FP. splendida and R. 
magnifica. In addition to marked differences in the 
leaves, Rhytidanthera regalis can be distinguished from 
all other species in the important character of the num- 
ber of stamens. Rhytidanthera splendida has 18—20 sta- 
mens; R. magnifica 40-50; R. sulcata, about 50; R. 
mellifera, 64; whereas R. regalis has 28-32. The fruit 
of Rhytidanthera regalis resembles in its size that of RP. 
sulcata, but the latter isa small shrub; the margin of its 
leaflets is doubly serrate and its inflorescences are longer 
than the leaves. From Rhytidanthera mellifera, the new 
species differs strikingly in shape, size, and consistency 
of the leaves and in several important floral characters. 
Worthy of note is the presence in Rhytidanthera regalis 
(sometimes on the same flower) of both obovate-spatulate 
and oblong-rotund petals, although the great majority 
are oblong-rotund; this is, apparently, an unusual con- 
dition, for Dwyer (in Lloydia 9 (1946) 51) employs the 
difference in petal shape as the major character in his key 
to the species. 
Rhytidanthera regalis is the second surprise which this 
genus—the only compound-leaved one in the Ochnaceae 
—has given us in the last decade. For one hundred years, 
Rhytidanthera has been known, although until 1904 it 
was not recognized as distinct from Godoya. In this 
century, only three species, all from Colombia (Santan- 
der, Magdalena and Boyaca), were collected (ef. Dwyer 
loc. cit. 50-54). This genus, native to the northern parts 
of the eastern Cordillera of Colombia, constituted then 
an extremely restricted endemic. 
[ 109 ] 
