NEW OR NOTEWORTHY PHILIPPINE PLANTS, VIII. 'ZOl 



Medinilla cauliflora sp. iiov. 



Arbuscula circiter 3 ni alta, i'oliis juiiioribiis subtus ad ncrvos, 

 ramulisque plus minus plumoso-stellato-tomentosis ; foliis oppositis, 

 membranaceis, acuminatis, elliptico-ovatis, basi angustatis, 5-plinerviis, 

 breviter petiolatis; inflorescentiis caulifloris, densissime confertis; floribus 

 4-meris, bracteatis, calycibus obscure 4-angulatis, 4-lobatis, lobis 5-7- 

 nerviis; staminibus 8, admodum inaequalibus, antheris postice longe 

 calcaratis. 



A sbrub about 3 m higli, tlie branchlets and the younger leaves on the 

 midrib and nerves beneath more or less covered with soft, stellate-plumose 

 hairs. Branches rather slender, grayish, terete or obscurely 4-angled, the 

 upper axils more or less bearded. Leaves opposite, membranaceous, ellip- 

 tic-ovate, 9 to 15 cm long, 4 to 7.5 cm wide, the apex shortly acuminate, 

 the base narrowed and acute or slightly acuminate; nerves three on each 

 side of the midrib, leaving it in the lower one-third, curved-ascending,- the 

 innennost pair reaching to the apex, distinct, the transverse reticulations 

 slender, distant, not prominent; petioles 5 mm long or less, sometimes 

 subobsolete. Inflorescence on the trunk below the leaves, of very sliort, 

 congested branches, forming a compact nuiss 8 cm in diameter or less, the 

 branches stout, each bearing many, subdistichous, oblong-ovate, crowded, 

 9 to 10 mm long bracts which are acute or obtuse, some empty, some 

 subtending flowers. Flowers pink or red, 4-merous, glabrous, the pedicels 

 stout, 4 mm long. Calyx obovoid, becoming more or less urceolate, 

 obscurely 4-angled, 6 mm long, constricted below the limb, the limb 

 produced, 2.5 to 3 mm long, cleft nearly to its base into four, broadly 

 ovate, 5- to 7-nerved, apiculate lobes. Petals obovate, 7 to 8 mm long, 

 4 to 5 mm wide, the apex strongly inequilateral, obliquely truncate, 

 base narrowed. Stamens 8, the filaments of four about 5 mm long, of 

 the other four 5.5 mm in length; anthers equal, 3.5 mm long, oblong- 

 lanceolate, slightly curved, opening by a single terminal pore, the base 

 with a slender, curved, dorsal spur nearly 2 mm in length, in front with 

 two stouter, curved auricles less than 1 mm long. Ovary 4-celled, the 

 lower one-half adherent to the calyx, free above, the top more or less 

 conical, glabrous; style joined with the ovary, at least 5 mm long; stigma 

 punctiform. Berry globose, fleshy, pink, 7 to 8 mm in diameter ; seeds in- 

 definite, 0.7 to 0.8 mm long. 



Negros, Canlaon Volcano, For. Bur. 17397 Cmrai), September, 1909, in forests 

 at an altitude of about 1,200 m. 



A species well characterized by its dense, cauline inflorescence and its 4-lobed 

 calyx-limb, the lobes distinctly nerved. It is apparently not very closely allied to 

 any described species. 



