XIV. 4 Merrill: Noteworthy Philippine Plants, XV 435 



mary lateral nerves anastomosing with the midrib in the acu- 

 men, when young the nerves beneath with few, scattered, 

 f urf uraceous-castaneous scales, soon becoming glabrous ; petioles 

 1.5 to 2 cm long, glabrous. Panicles terminal, shortly pedun- 

 cled, rather few-flowered, 2 to 3 cm long, the primary branches 

 few, 1 cm long or less, the flowers somewhat crowded at the 

 apices of the branchlets. Perfect flowers shortly pedicelled, ur- 

 ceolate, the calyx-tube about 2.5 mm long, the limb spreading 

 and about 4.5 mm in diameter, the lobes reniform. Petals obo- 

 vate, about 3 mm long. Staminate flowers similar to the pistil- 

 late ones but the calyx-tube broadly cup-shaped. 



Luzon, Ilocos Norte Province, Mount Palimlim, Bur. Sci. 

 33279 (type) , 33278, 33266 Ramos, August 21, 1918, in forests, 

 altitude about 1,000 meters. 



This species is allied to Astronia pachyphylla Merr., A. ver- 

 ruculosa Merr., and A. pauciflora Merr., being distinguished 

 from the first by its smaller, differently shaped leaves and its 

 castaneous-furfuraceous inflorescences and it further lacks the 

 characteristic large bracts of A. pachyphylla; the leaves and 

 flowers are much smaller than are those of A. verruculosa; while 

 A. pauciflora is distinguished, among other characters, by its 

 densely lepidote branchlets and inflorescences. 



ARALIACEAE 



SCHEFFLERA Forster 

 SCHEFFLERA OBTUSI FOLIA sp. nov. § Euschefflera, Heptapleurum. 



Frutex erectus, ramulis inflorescentiisque exceptis glaber; 

 foliis brevissime petiolatis, palmatim 7- ad 9-foliolatis, foliolis 

 coriaceis, oblongo-obovatis, integris, 8 ad 15 cm longis, apice 

 plerumque rotundatis, basi acutis ; inflorescentiis breviter pedun- 

 culatis, ramis primariis racemose dispositis, 18 ad 24 cm longis, 

 leviter pubescentibus ; umbellulis numerosis, racemose dispositis, 

 8- ad 12-floris pedunculis usque ad 1 cm longis; floribus 5- 

 meris ; f ructibus ellipsoideis ad oblongo-ellipsoideis, 5 mm longis, 

 5-sulcatis. 



An erect shrub, about 2 m high, glabrous except the some- 

 what pubescent branchlets and slightly pubescent inflorescences. 

 Leaves very short-petioled, 7- to 9-foliolate; leaflets coriaceous, 

 shining when dry, oblong-obovate, entire, 8 to 15 cm long, 4 

 to 6.5 cm wide, the apex usually rounded, narrowed below to the 

 acute base; primary lateral nerves 7 to 10 on each side of the 

 midrib, the nerves and reticulations distinct on both surfaces; 

 petiolules 3.5 to 8 cm long; petioles stout, 1 to 1.5 cm long. In- 



