ity of waterfalls. It is ikewise noteworthy in the strongly 
drooping position which the ripening fruiting head grad- 
ually assumes. The very young spadix stands perfectly 
erect, but, as the fertilized ovaries enlarge, the spadix 
bends and finally droops in a deeply nodding position, as 
shown in the accompanying habit photographs. I have 
not seen this peculiarity reported for the other species 
of Urospatha; none of the herbarium specimens which I 
have studied give indication of it, nor have I observed it 
in any other species of the genus which I met in the 
field. The specific epithet somnolenta (Latin meaning 
‘*full of sleep’’) refers to this apparently unusual nodding 
position of the mature spadix. 
CotomsiaA : Comisarias del Amazonas y Vaupés, Rio Apaporis, Raudal 
Yayacopi (La Playa) and vicinity. Altitude about 800 feet. **In damp 
crevasses in rocks, in sand and stagnant water. Stem mottled green- 
purple. Spathe dark green inside, dark purple-black outside. Fruit 
dark purple-green.’? February 16, 1952. Richard Evans Schultes & 
Isidoro Cabrera 15402 (Tyrw in Herb. Gray). 
ERIOCAULACEAE 
Eriocaulon vaupesense Moldenke sp. nov. 
Herba parva annua; foliis caespitosis tenuiter mem- 
branaceis fragilibus graminodeis 3.5—5.5 cm. longis fene- 
stratis glabris; pedunculis 7-14 cm. longis solitariis gra- 
cillimis stramineis tricostatis; vaginis arcte adpressis 
2-2.5 cm. longis glabris; capitulis parvis hemisphaericis 
albis 8-5 mm. latis; bracteolis late obovatis crassis stra- 
mineis imbricatis nitidis ca. 1.6 mm. longis ad apicem 
rotundatis. 
Small, probably annual, herb; stem much abbreviated 
or obsolete; leaves tufted, very thin-membranous and 
fragile, apparently erect when fresh, spreading or reflexed 
in age, linear and grass-like, uniformly pale-green on both 
surfaces, 3.5-5.5 cm. long, 1.5-2 mm. wide below the 
middle, attenuate-subulate at the apex, fenestrate, gla- 
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