WITTIA. 



207 



2. Wittia panamensis Britton and Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 16: 241. 1913. 



Branches much flattened, up to i meter long, 4 to 7 cm. wide, low-crenate; flowers sometimes 

 15 or more on a branch but sohtary at areoles on upper half of joint, purple, becoming straight, 

 2.5 to 3.5 cm. long, 5-angled, stiff'; outer perianth-segments 10, in 2 series, equal, obtuse; outermost 

 ones angled on back; inner perianth-segments 5, similar to outer but thinner, not angled or only 

 slightly so, a little longer, all erect; innermost segments 10 or 11, thinner, paler, and much smaller 

 than outer, apiculate, sometimes toothed above; tube proper 5 to 6 mm. long, the throat 10 mm. 

 long; stamens many, in 2 series, one on base of throat on long filaments, one on top of throat on 

 short filaments, all included ; stigma-lobes 4, white, but remaining in a close cluster, the top exserted 

 beyond perianth-segments; ovary globular, purple, bearing a few scarious scales. 



Type locality: Mountains above Chepo, Panama. 



Distribution: Panama, Colombia, and perhaps Venezuela. 



Mr. Henri Pittier has collected in Venezuela a plant which is closely related to this 

 species (No. 7656). 



Illustrations: Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 16: pi. 73; Curtis's Bot. Mag. 145: pi. 8799. 



Figure 209, shown below, is from a photograph showing the plant collected by 

 Mr. Pittier in 191 2 which afterwards flowered in Washington. 



