241 



NEW BUBIACE^ FROM TROPICAL AMERICA.— I. 



By H. F. Wernham, B.Sc. 



(Plates 520, 521.) 



In the course of examining specimens of Rubiaceae collected 

 in various parts of Tropical America, and preserved in the 

 National Herbarium, I have discovered the following forms 

 which have not hitherto been described. 



Carmenocania, 



Rubiacearum e tribu Musssendearum genus novum. 



Calycis tubus obconicus ; limbi lobi 5 elongati, uno saepe in 

 laminam amplam foliaceam petiolatam producto. Corolla tubo 

 elongato plerumque incurvo sericeo fauce villosa, infra staminum 

 insertionem intus glaberrima, lobis parum elongatis suberectis 

 reduplicatim valvatis. Stamina 5, infra corollas medium in annulo 

 incrassato villoso inserta filamentis longis ; antherae dorso affixae, 

 inclusae, breviter ovatae, basi lobatae. Discus annularis nee valde 

 tumidus. Ovarmm 2-loculare ; stylus filiformis stigmate 2-lobato ; 

 ovula in loculis perplurima, placentis carnosis septo adnatis 

 multiseriatim inserta. FrucUos . . . Frutices vel arbores, foliis 

 oppositis, stipulis interpetiolaribus. Flores majusculi in cymas 

 corymbosas terminalibus dispositi. 



The exact affinities of this genus must await the discovery of 

 the fruit. The flowers bear a superficial resemblance to those of 

 Isertia and also to those of Mussceiida, but they are readily dis- 

 tinguished from the former by the elongated calyx-lobes and 

 bilocular ovary, and from both by the bent corolla- tube, the 

 insertion of the stamens, and the shape of the anthers. On the 

 whole, the new genus would appear to find a place in Musscendecs. 



Carmenocania porphyrantha, sp. unicum. Verisimiliter 

 arbor ramulis junioribus complanatis pubescentibus demum gla- 

 bratis ; foliis plerumque obovatis basin versus leniter acu.minatis 

 cuneatis apice breviter acuminatis, breviter petiolatis, supra 

 nitentibus utrinque minutissime papillosis nisi infra in venis 

 sparsissime pilosis glabris, venis atque reticulo infra clarissimis ; 

 stipulis brevissimis, latis, apiculatis, primo densiuscule strigosis ; 

 florihus velutinis in corymbis multifloris plerumque sessilibus, 

 calycis lobis setaceo-linearibus, segmento foliaceo dum adsit late 

 ovato brevissime acuminato utrinque prascipue in venis minute 

 pubescente, petiolo subunguiforme densiter appresse tomentoso, 

 corollce fusco-violaceae extus densissime sericeo-pubescentis tubo 

 latiusculo tubuloso insuper vix ampliato lobis ovatis brevibus 

 obtusis suberectis, stylo nisi insuper eodem cum stigmate pube- 

 scente glabro. 



Colombia : Carmen, prov. Ocafia; flowering in August, Schlim, 

 755. 



Leaves 12-15 cm. long, 7-8 cm. broad ; petiole up to about 

 6 mm. long ; secondary nerves 12-14 pairs ; stipules 2 mm. long. 

 Journal of Botany. — Vol. 50. [August, 1912.] s 



