20.4 Merrill: Noteworthy Philippine Plants, XVII 377 



habit, being freely branched, and further differs in its floral char- 

 acters. It is very easily distinguished from Elatostema lignosum 

 Merr. by its entirely different habit, the stems creeping and 

 rooting below not being strictly erect and woody. The floral 

 characters of the two species are radically different. 



ELATOSTEMA LIGNOSUM sp. nov. 



Erecta, ramosa, fruticosa, usque ad 80 cm alta, caulis tere- 

 tibus, lignosis, 4 ad 5 mm diametro, ramis paucis, elongatis, 

 adpresse strigoso-hirsutis ; foliis chartaceis, fragilis, olivaceis, 

 lanceolatis, usque ad 9 cm longis, tenuiter caudato-acuminatis, 

 basi inaequilateralibus, acutis, margine subgrosse serratis, supra 

 glabris, olivaceis, cystolithis numerosis instructis; nervis utrin- 

 que 5 ad 9, subtus valde perspicuis et adpresse strigoso-hirsutis ; 

 inflorescentiis s axillaribus, sessilibus, 4 ad 5 mm diametro, 

 bracteis liberis, exterioribus orbicularibus, rotundatis, leviter 

 ciliatis, 3.5 mm longis, bracteolis spatulatis ; floribus numerosis, 

 4-meris, segmentis oblongis ad ellipticis, 1.5 mm longis, baud 

 corniculatis. 



An erect, branched, woody plant up to 80 cm high, the stems 

 terete, 4 to 5 mm in diameter, olivaceous when dry, the epidermis 

 supplied with very numerous cystoliths, the branches few, elon- 

 gated, up to 20 cm in length, the branchlets terete, appressed- 

 strigose-hirsute, olivaceous. Leaves chartaceous, lanceolate, 5 

 to 9 cm long, 1.2 to 2.5 cm wide, brittle when dry, olivaceous, 

 Inequilateral, the base acute on both sides, one side longer and 

 broader than the other, the apex slender, caudate-acuminate, the 

 margins rather coarsely serrate except near the base, the upper 

 surface olivaceous, densely covered with numerous, irregularly 

 disposed cystoliths which are distinctly visible to the naked eye, 

 the lower surface slightly paler than the upper, the midrib, 

 marginal and lateral nerves very prominent, the lateral nerves 

 5 to 9 on each side of the midrib, anastomosing directly with 

 the more or less arched marginal nerves, the cystoliths chiefly 

 confined to the midrib, nerves, and reticulations, the midrib and 

 primary nerves more or less appressed-strigose-hirsute ; stip- 

 ules lanceolate, acuminate, 3.5 mm long. Staminate inflores- 

 cences axillary, solitary or in pairs, sessile, 4 to 5 mm in diameter. 

 Outer bracts orbicular, free or nearly so, 3.5 mm long, rounded, 

 slightly ciliate ; bracteoles spatulate, about 2 mm long, more or 

 less ciliate above. Flowers numerous, 4-merous, the perianth 

 segments oblong to elliptic, about 1.5 mm long, slightly ciliate 

 at the apex, acute, two of them slightly cucullate, none spurred. 



