AEQUATORIALES RIGIDAE 83 



short (2-3x20-30 mm.), smooth, the upper ancipital and dilated to 5 or 

 6 mm. below the nodes. Cataphyls 2-4 pairs, toward the base, scarcely 

 tubular. Leaves narrowly oblanceolate, very obtuse, scarcely 1x4 cm., 

 scarcely nerved, cuneately subpetioled for about 5 mm. Spikes more or 

 less clustered, moderate (scarcely 25 mm.), with 3-6 slender joints some- 

 what turbinately about 30-flowered when staminate and clavately half as 

 many flowered in 6 series when pistillate : peduncle 1-2 mm. long : scales 

 scarcely ciliate. Fruit said to be pale yellow, globose, smooth, 2.5-3 mm. 

 in diameter. Plate 109. 



Brazilian region. The type from Minas Ueraes (v. Martins, the 

 type). 



Specimens examined : BRAZIL. Minas Geraes (v. Martins, the type). 



20. RIGIDAE. 



Leaves moderate, thick, dull, scarcely evidently basinerved. Shoots 

 more or less compressed or ancipital. Cataphyls mostly 2 or 3 pairs, on 

 the basal joint only, exceptionally fertile. Spikes short, with small scales. 

 Flowers in 2, 4 or 6 series. Fruit mostly round, smooth and with nearly 

 closed sepals. Venezuela. 



Leaves round-ovate (1:1.5). P. ovalifolium. 

 Leaves oblanceolate. 



Very obtuse. P. longipetiolatum. 



Subacute. P. bUineatum. 



Leaves elliptical-obovate (1 :2). 



Subsessile. P. rigidum. 



Long-cuneate. P. Jenmani. 



PHORADENDRON OVALIFOLIUM (Urban). 



Plioradendrum ovalifolium Urban, Bot. Jahrb. vol. 23., Beibl. 57. p. 6. 

 1897. 



More or less pseudodichotomous, the rather long branches with basal 

 cataphyls only, androgynous?. Internodes moderate (1-3x15-60 mm.), 

 smooth, terete. Cataphyls a nearly basal pair, usually with a second pair 

 5-10 mm. higher, bluntly spreading, white-margined. Leaves broadly 

 ovate to obovate, obtuse or subemarginate, 1.5-3x2.5-4 cm., rather ab- 

 ruptly petioled for 5-10 mm. Spikes mostly solitary, short ( 15, lengthen- 

 ing to 25 mm.), with about 3 joints some 6- to 10-flowered in 4+2 series: 

 peduncle scarcely 2 mm. long, sometimes followed by a more or less ster- 

 ile joint: scales white-margined. Fruit subglobose, nearly smooth, 3-4 

 mm. in diameter: sepals inflexed. Plate 110. 



Venezuelan region. The type from Venezuela. 



Specimens examined. VENEZUELA. Tovar (Fendler, 1108, the 

 type). 



