252 MERRILL. 



Vahl, then perhaps the present varictj' should be given specific rank. However, 

 the material on which the species and the variety are based, came from the 

 same region, although at different altitudes, and was collected on the same date, 

 and the pubescence of the latter may be a character largely due to altitude. 



COMPOSITE. 



VERNON I A Schreb. 



Vernonia elmeri sp. nov. 



Gynura angulosa Elmer Leafl. Philip. Bot. 1 (1906) 146, excl. syn., non DC. 



Herba scandens, usque ad 3 m alta, foliis subtus, ramulis, inflorescen- 

 tiisque leviter pubescentibus ; foliis alternis, petiolatis, oblongo-ovatis vel 

 lanceolato-ovatis, valde acuminatis, margine distanter denticulatis ; in- 

 florescentiis terminal ibus, corymboso-paniculatis^ capitulis pedunculatis, 

 circiter 1 cm longis; fioribus purpureis. 



A scandent herbaceous plant reaching a height of at least 3 m. Stems 

 and branches terete, striate, appressed-pubcscent with grayish hairs. 

 Leaves alternate, oblong-ovate to lanceolate-ovate, or the upper ones 

 nearly lanceolate, 4 to 8 cm long, 1 to 3 cm wide, the upper ones often 

 smaller, chartaceous or submembranaeeous, gradually narrowed into the 

 sharply acuminate apex, the base acute or broad and rounded, the mar- 

 gins with distant, small teeth, somewhat pubescent with scattered hairs 

 on both surfaces, or nearly glabrous above, glandular-punctate beneath; 

 petioles 3 to 4 mm long, pubescent. Panicles terminal, corymbose, 

 slightly pubescent. Heads comparatively few, about 1 cm long. Involu- 

 cral bracts 5- or 6-seriate, the outer ones gradually smaller, and the outer- 

 most almost linear, 1 to 1.5 mm long, all pubescent, the innermost ones 

 about 5 mm long, 1 to 1.3 mm wide, apiculate-acuminate, slightly keeled. 

 Disk at first paleaceous with short scales, ultimately quite glabrous. 

 Flowers all hermaphrodite, homogamous, tubular, purple. Achenes about 

 1 mm long, slightly pubescent, obscurely ribbed; pappus white, copious, 

 about 6 mm long, with a few very short hairs in the outer series. Corolla 

 about 9 mm long, cleft at the apex into 5, oblong-lanceolate, about 3 mm 

 long lobes; style exserted, the arms 2 mm long; anthers 2.5 mm long, 

 apex blunt or acute, hyaline, base shortly cleft. 



Palawan, Separation Point, Merrill 793, February, 1903; San Antonio Bay, 

 Merrill 5256, October, 1906; Mount "Victoria, Bur. Sci. 703 Foxworthy, March, 

 1905. LrzoN, Province of Nueva Vizcaya, Bur. Sci. 8196 Ramos, May, 1909, 

 Mindanao, Lake Lanao, Mrs. Clemens 915, January, 1907. 



This .species is apparently closely allied to Vernonia cincrea (L. ) Less., but is 

 at once distinguishable by its much larger size, scandent habit, and larger leaves 

 ami heads. In floral structure it is excoedingh' similar to that species. It was 

 referred by Mr. Elmer to (hjnura angulosa DC, but does not remotely resemble 

 that species, and is, moreover, not a member of the Senecioneae. The structure of 

 the involucre at once distinguishes it from Gynura and allied genera. More ma- 

 terial is necessary to dispose of Gynura sarmentosa Elm., I. c. (non DC! ), as the 

 specimen referred to it by that author, Copeland 1258, is very similar to some 



