PHILIPPINE PLANTS, IX. 317 



nia bataanen^is Merr., differing especially in its leaves being usually acute 

 at the base, and in its flowers always being long and slenderly pedicelled. 



TRISTANIA R. Br. 



TRISTAN I A LITTORALIS sp. nov. § Eutristania. 



Species T. obovatae R. Br. similis et afRnis, differt foliis brevis- 

 sime petiolatis vel subsessilis, basi distincte auriculatis, petalis 

 integris, vix denticulatis. 



A tree with hard wood, quite glabrous except the puberulent 

 inflorescence. Branches terete, light-gray, slender, the branch- 

 lets reddish-brown as are the panicles and midribs of the leaves 

 when dry. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, narrowly obovate-oblong 

 to obovate-elliptic, 9 to 22 cm long, 4 to 10 cm wide, shining when 

 dry, the lower surface distinctly paler than the upper one, the 

 apex obtuse, acute, or distinctly and shortly acuminate, narrowed 

 below to the distinctly auriculate base, the margins recurved; 

 lateral nerves slender, 8 to 10 on the smaller leaves, up to 30 on 

 the larger ones, usually 5 to 8 mm apart, spreading, straight or 

 nearly so, anastomosing and forming a continuous, slender, sub- 

 marginal nerve ; petioles stout, 2 to 3 mm long, wider than long, 

 or wanting and the leaves sessile. Inflorescence axillary, pe- 

 duncled, cymose, somewhat puberulent, 2 to 9 cm long. Flowers 

 sessile or nearly so, the calyx funnel-shaped, about 3 mm long, 

 3 mm wide at the throat, with 5 broadly triangular teeth which 

 are acute or obtuse. . Petals 5, glabrous, rounded, obovate, 1.2 

 mm long. Stamens 15, in five groups of three each opposite 

 the petals, the middle filament of each group 1 to 1.2 mm long, 

 the two lateral ones a little shorter, the anthers very small. 

 Ovary globose, slightly gray-pubescent ; style slender, 1 mm long. 

 Capsules obovoid-ellipsoid, 4 mm long, the three valves coria- 

 ceous, slightly pubescent, ultimately glabrous or nearly so. Seeds 

 thin, flat, narrowly obovoid, including the wings about 4 mm 

 long. 



Mindanao, District of Zamboanga, Taligbao River, For. Bur. 13534. Fox- 

 worthy, De Mesa, & Villamil, June 17, 1912, common here, occurring just 

 back of the mangrove on dry land, and on a low ridge running back from 

 the edge of the swamp. The same species is represented by a sterile 

 specimen. For. Bur. 112^6 Hutchinson, from Santa Maria, Zamboanga. It 

 is known to the Moros as taha. 



The wood is hard and is said to be very durable. The species is the 

 second one of the genus to be recorded from the Archipelago, but appa- 

 rently one or two additional distinct forms are represented by sterile ma- 

 terial from different parts of the Philippines. 



