cm. wide; mid-vein prominent, secondary veins pinnate, 
prominulous. Petiole 83-9 mm. long. Inflorescence termi- 
nal, subecorymbose, shorter than the leaves, few- (up to 
eight) flowered, on a long, filiform peduncle. Pedicels 
filiform, 5-9 mm. long, ferruginous, cylindrical. Bracts 
very minute, linear, obtuse, less than 1 mm. long, 0.25 
mm. wide. Buds about 2.5 mm. long, minutely tomen- 
tulose, predominantly brownish. Sepals elongate-trian- 
gular, acutish, connate at the base, about 1.5 mm. long, 
0.5 mm. wide at the base, minutely puberulent, brown. 
Petals lanceolate, acutish, 3.5 mm. long, 1 mm. wide, 
shortly connate at the base, interiorly whitish and clothed 
with glandular hairs, exteriorly marked by about six 
broad brown lines, at anthesis explanate with the apex 
very strongly reflexed, exposing the anthers. Filaments 
glabrous, 1.25 mm. long. Anthers linear, 2 mm. long or 
less, shorter than the petals, bright yellow. Ovary punc- 
tate, puberulent, ovoid. Style 2.5 mm. long,very slender, 
usually bent at the apex, at anthesis exserted, persisting. 
Fruit unknown. 
This interesting species of Parathesis is very frequent 
in the dark, damp, cool rain-forests on the northern and 
eastern slopes of Cerro Caracél between the villages of 
San Juan Lalana and Santo Domingo Latani. Appar- 
ently it does not occur widely in northeastern Oaxaca. 
It is notable because of the small size of all its parts. 
The floral coloration of Parathesis tenwis is peculiar. 
The petals are brown and white, while the stamens are 
brilliant yellow. The petals are strongly reflexed at an- 
thesis exposing the brilliant stamens which constitute 
the conspicuous part of the flower. 
The Chinantee Indians of this region called the tree 
ma-ku-lai, the meaning of which could not be ascertained. 
The fruits are said to be small, but they are used as a 
source of food by the natives inasmuch as the trees are 
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