ab agrestibus ‘‘cacaoito’’ et ‘‘cacao blanco,’’ ab indigenis 
tribubus Karijonorum ‘‘ha-pe’-ta-ke’’ appelatur. 
Mayna longifolia var. phasmatocarpa differs from M. 
longifolia in the length of the petioles, the size and shape 
of the leaves, their margin (entire, instead of sinuate), the 
pilosity (pubescent only on the under side, instead of usu- 
ally on both sides), the size and alation of the capsules, 
and in several floral characters, especially in the sepals 
and petals. This new variety, known only from the Up- 
per Vaupés River where it is abundant, is apparently the 
northwesternmost representative of the widespread Am- 
azonian Mayna longifolia. To the best of my knowledge, 
Mayna longifolia has not been collected in eastern Colom- 
bia, but the extensive range of this species and its ap- 
parent abundance in adjacent Peruvian and Brazilian 
localities (in Loreto and at Tabatinga respectively ) 
would seem to indicate that it may yet be discovered in 
Colombia. 
The varietal epithet phasmatocarpa has reference to 
the ghastly white color of the fruit. I collected fruits 
which were ripe almost to the point of opening, and they 
showed no sign of darkening into a brown or a green as 
has been reported for some species. Furthermore, natives 
of the region state that the fruit is always white. The 
resemblance of the plant, especially the fruit, to Her- 
rania (a member of the Sterculiaceae) is interestingly 
borne out by the common names cacaoito and cacao blanco 
which the settlers in the Vaupes apply to Mayna longi- 
folia var. phasmatocarpa. We may note also that in Bra- 
zil, Mayna longifolia is known as cacau branco and in 
Loreto, Peru, as cacahuito. 
The brilliant orange-vermillion pulp surrounding the 
seeds of this plant is usually somewhat acidulous, but, 
according to natives, it is sweet when the fruit is com- 
pletely ripe. The Karijona Indians, who call the species 
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