102 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I26 



10. Primary bracts with distinct elongate blades ; inflorescence much 



branched. 



II, Floral bracts ovate, loosely and incompletely sheathing the 



base of the flower, becoming slightly if at all secund, sulcate 



when dry with a broad thin margin ; sepals oblong, to 37 mm. 



long, about 3 times as long as broad. (Fig. 35.) 



23. V. gigantea 

 II. Floral bracts suborbicular, tightly and completely sheathing 

 the base of the flower, becoming secund, even; sepals lance- 

 ovate, 30 mm. long, about twice as long as broad. 



35. V. morrenii 

 10. Primary bracts bladeless, inconspicuous; inflorescence few- 

 branched ; sepals 26 mm. long 36. V. ruschii 



9. Sepals obtuse. 



12. Floral bracts 32 mm. long, about twice as long as the internodes ; 



sepals elliptic. (Fig. 27 •) 37- V. hoehneana 



12. Floral bracts 25 mm. long, about equaling the internodes; sepals 



broadly elliptic. (Fig. 38.) 38. V. amazonica 



5. Branches densely flowered ; floral bracts twice as long as the internodes 



or longer. 



13. Floral bracts drying dark castaneous except for the apex or the 



margins. 



14. Sepals acute; floral bracts broadly ovate, acute, pale and slightly 



rugulose near the apex, 3-8 cm. long, usually much exceeding 



the sepals 39. V. longicaulis 



14. Sepals obtuse ; floral bracts suborbicular with narrow pale margins, 



2-3 cm. long, usually shorter than the sepals. . . 40. V. itatiaiae 

 13. Floral bracts usually green or yellow, sometimes red or pale brown, 

 but always pale on drying. 



15. Sepals much exceeded by the sharply carinate laterally compressed 



floral bracts, 20 mm. long, 8 mm. wide 14. V. brusquensis 



15. Sepals always somewhat exserted above the floral bracts. 

 16. Inflorescence few-branched, the terminal branch with an elongate 

 sterile base almost completely covered by bracts. 

 17. Sepals up to 35 mm. long; floral bracts barely twice as long 

 as the internodes; plant generally 2 m. or taller. (Fig. 37.) 



27. V. hoehneana 



17. Sepals 20-27 mm. long; floral bracts 2.5 to 3.5 times as long 



as the internodes; plant 6-12 dm. tall — 41. V. longiscapa 

 16. Inflorescence many-branched, the terminal branch not much 

 different from the others. 



18. Leaves ornamented with dark purple irregular transverse 



bands ; floral bracts broadly ovate, carinate ; sepals narrowly 

 elliptic, 25 mm. long, much exserted. (Fig. 39.) 



42. V. hieroglyphica 

 18. Leaves without purple bands but sometimes with narrow dark 

 green lines. 

 19. Flowers downwardly secund. 

 20. Branches 4-8-flowered, short, very slender ; sepals 20 mm. 

 long. 



