17,3 Merrill: Noteworthij Philippine Plants, XVI 299 



Mount Mariguidon, Bvir. Sci. 30526 Ramos, November, 1917. 

 On trees in the mossy forests at and above an altitude of 700 

 meters. 



A remarkable species, entirely different from all other known 

 representatives of the genus, strongly characterized by its densely 

 long-setose nodes ; its remarkably unequal leaves, the smaller leaf 

 of each pair being very greatly reduced or even obsolete ; and by 

 its long-peduncled, capitate, densely bracteate inflorescences. 

 The name Medinilla purpurea was applied by Mr. Elmer to 23701 

 Ramos with reference to material collected by him in Sorsogon 

 that represented the same species. Unfortunately Mr. Elmer's 

 material was lost and, as the duplicates of the specimen cited 

 above have been distributed under his manuscript name, the de- 

 scription is accordingly published here. 



MEDINILLA UMBELLATA sp. nov. 



Frutex scandens, partibus junioribus minute castaneo-furfu- 

 raceis, ramulis teretibus, foliis verticillatis, sessilibus, obovatis, 

 usque ad 23 cm longis, apice abrupte breviter acuminatis, basi 

 angustatis, penninerviis, nervis utrinque 3, valde perspicuis; in- 

 florescentiis lateralibus, umbellatis, pedunculatis, pedunculato 5 

 cm longo ; floribus circiter 15, pedicellatis, 5-meris, bracteis an- 

 guste oblanceolatis, circiter 1 cm longis. 



A scandent shrub with terete branchlets, verticillate, obovate, 

 penninerved, sessile leaves, and lateral, simple, peduncled, um- 

 bellate inflorescences, the indumentum, chiefly confined to the 

 inflorescences and the younger parts, consisting of very short, 

 dark-brown, furfuraceous hairs. Leaves usually 4 at each node, 

 sessile, obovate, 20 to 23 cm long, 12 to 14 cm wide, chartaceous 

 to subcoriaceous, the upper surface olivaceous, the lower usually 

 brownish, abruptly and shortly acuminate, narrowed below to 

 the obtuse base, the narrow basal portion up to 5 cm long, at 

 the very base not exceeding 1 cm in width, penninerved, the 

 lateral nerves usually 3, leaving the midrib in the lower half, 

 ascending, curved, the inner 2 pairs reaching the apex, the trans- 

 verse reticulations distant, very prominent, the upper surface 

 glabrous, the midrib on the lower surface very sparingly brown- 

 furfuraceous. Inflorescences from leafless nodes, apparently 

 solitary, simple, umbellate, their peduncles about 5 cm long, each 

 bearing 15 or fewer flowers, the subtending bracts narrowly 

 oblanceolate, about 1 cm long, the pedicels about 5 mm long, 

 all parts distinctly but minutely furfuraceous-pubescent with 

 dark-brown hairs. Buds ellipsoid, about 7 mm long; calyx ob- 

 scurely 5-toothed. 



