24 THE CACTAC3AE. 



4. Monvillea phatnosperma (Schumann). 



Cereus phattios permits Schumann, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 9: 186. 1899. 



Decumbent, 1 to 2 meters long; branches 4 or 5-ribbed, bright green, 2.5 cm. in diameter; 

 ribs rounded, somewhat concave on the sides; spines brown, subulate; radial spines 5 or 6, spreading, 

 15 mm. long; central spines, when present, straight or somewhat curved, up to 2.5 cm. long; flowers 

 white, 12 cm. long; ovary subnaked, narrow, cylindric, about 3 cm. long. 



Type locality: Near Porongo, Paraguay. 



Distribution: Paraguay. 



The plant is known to us only from the description above cited. 



5. Monvillea diffusa sp. nov. 



Stems slender, 4 to 5 cm. in diameter, at first erect, afterwards with long arching branches, 

 when growing in the open often forming thickets 2 to 5 meters in diameter; ribs high and thin, 

 usually 8; areoles 2.5 to 3 cm. apart, gray-felted ; radial spines 

 6 to 10, spreading,/ acicular, 6 to 12 mm. long; central spines 



1 to 3, one usually much elongated, 2 to 3 cm. long, subulate, 

 gray with black tips; flowers 7.5 cm. long, the tube strongly 

 ribbed ; scales on the flower-tube ovate, acute ; ovary globose 

 with elongated tubercles or ribs; scales on ovary minute, acute. 



Common on the hillsides of the Catamayo Valley in 



ii_ -rn j Fig. 23. — Monvillea diffusa. X0.5. 



southern Ecuador. 



Collected by J. N. Rose, A. Pachano, and George Rose, October 3, 1918 (No. 23325). 

 Figure 23 shows a flower and young fruit from the type collection. 



6. Monvillea maritima sp. nov. 



Stems slender, 5 to 8 cm. in diameter, at first erect, sometimes 4 to 5 meters high, growing among 

 shrubs and trees and often high-clambering, either simple or with few distant branches, these weak, 

 ascending or drooping; ribs 4 to 6, somewhat undulating, the areoles borne in the depressions, 



2 to 3 cm. apart; spines about 8, all gray, with black tips; central spines 1 or 2, one much longer and 

 stouter, 5 to 6 cm. long; upper part of flower-bud nearly globular, merely acute at apex; flowers 6 cm. 

 long; flower-tube faintly angled without, naked for about 3 cm. above the base of the style; ovary 

 oblong, faintly angled, the scales broad with a minute scarious tip. 



Common in the thickets along the coast of southern Ecuador near Santa Rosa where 

 it was collected by J. N. Rose and George Rose, October 1918 (No. 23495). 



The flowers of this species are similar to those of M. diffusa, but the two plants grow 

 in very different situations and are of different habit. M. diffusa grows on the mountain- 

 side of a very arid interior valley at an altitude of about 2,170 meters, while M. maritima 

 is from a humid region near sea-level ; the former grows in the open while M. maritima grows 

 among bushes and trees. 



7. Monvillea amazonica (Schumann). 



Cereus amazonicus Schumann in Vaupel, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 23: 164. i9 r 3- 

 At first erect, up to 5 meters long, not much branched ; ribs 7, low, acute ; areoles about 1 7 mm. 

 apart; spines about 15, acicular, weak, 8 mm. long; flowers borne on the upper part of the stem but 

 not at the tip, straight, 8 cm. long; areoles on ovary and flower-tube without hairs, bristles, or 

 spines, subtended by minute scales; perianth-segments numerous, obovate, rounded above; ovary 

 and fruit oblong, capped by the withering flower. 



Type locality: Loreto, Peru. 



Distribution: On the upper Amazon in eastern Peru. 



This is evidently a remarkable species. It is known to us only from the description 

 and illustration, and may very likely represent a distinct generic type. 

 Illustration: Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 23: 165, as Cereus amazonicus. 



