CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE GRAY HERBARIUM OF HARVARD 

 UNIVERSITY, NEW SERIES. — No. XXIX. 



NEW PLANTS FROM THE ISLANDS OF MARGARITA 

 AND COCHE, VENEZUELA. 



By J. 11. Johnston. 



Presented by B. L Robinson, February 8, 1905. Received February 4,1905. 



As THERE will necessarily be a delay in the publication of a Flora of 

 the Islands of Margarita and Coche which is in preparation by the 

 writer, it seems advisable at this time to put on record the following 

 new species. All localities not otherwise specified are on Margarita 

 I^^land. 



Bactris falcata, n. sp. Slender tree ; trunk 10 m. high, armed ; 

 bark gray ; rings of spines about 3 cm. apart ; spines as much as 7 cm. 

 long, irregularly arranged and numerous . leaves pinnate, 25 to 45 cm. 

 long, falcate, abruptly caudate-acuminate, with cross veins inconspicuous 

 and numerous ; upper pinnae broadly lanceolate, narrowing little at the 

 base, with about 8 main ribs ; lower pinnae linear, narrowing at base, 

 3 cm. wide, with 1 main rib and 8 secondary and as many tertiary ones ; 

 rachis keeled on the upper side, convex below, slightly rufescent : pedun- 

 cle and spathe densely clothed with black shining spines 2 cm. in length ; 

 peduncle recurved; spathe 15 cm. long: spadix racemosely branched, 

 1 dm. long; branches as much as 6 cm. in length, slender, numerous: 

 calyx of the pistillate flower circular, 4 mm. in diameter ; corolla circular, 

 quite regular, 1 cm. broad; drupe yellowish red, about 2 cm. in diameter, 

 a little broader than long, turbinate. — Rio Asuncion, in heavy woods 

 near Juan Griego trail, Johnston^ no. 220, July 1 G, 1903. 



Reiiealmia lutea, n. sp. Plant 12 to 15 dm. high : leaves distichous, 

 linear-lanceolate, 23 cm. long and 4 cm. wide; apex attenuate ; base nar- 

 rowing into a short petiole; vagina truncate at the top; surface more or 

 less covered with fine white scales : inflorescence simply racemose ; scape 

 arising from base of stem ; bracts of the scape sheathing, 12 cm. long ; 

 those subtending the flowers, 1- to 2-flowered ; lower ones as much as 

 3 cm. long ; tubular bractlet e(|ualling the calyx, nearly 1 cm. long, 

 externally pubescent at base and tip: calyx 3-Iobed ; lobes unequal. 



