208 



CARL SKOTTSBERG 



142. D. gigantea Joh., Estud. 69; Skottsberg, Stud. 6. — Fig. 39 g— k. 



Masafuera: On the walls of the canyons and on the slopes of the val- 

 leys, in the forest region, not uncommon. Q. Sanchez, 800—880 m, scattered; 

 Las Chozas, in the forest near the abandoned village, 650 m (no. 549); Q. del 

 Mono, c. 600 m; Q. de las Casas, on the canyon walls, generally out of reach 

 (Johow; Skottsberg 1908); Q. del Blindado, 370-460 m, on steep slopes 

 with Myrceugenia (fl. 19 /2 17, no. 436); Q. Inocentes, c. 500 m; Q. del Vara- 

 dero, not uncommon in the smaller branch and on the slopes higher up, 650 m. 



Known before only from the Casas Valley, where JOHOW obtained a few 

 pieces by aid of a gun; by throwing stones I got hold of some leaves in the 

 same place in 1908. It is, however, much more common in other stations and 

 much better developed. 



Fig. 39. a— c Dendroseris micrantha: a head, X i'|i, b scales, X 1 V s , c floret, X 3 '/"• 



d — f D. fruinata: d head, X 1 '/ 3 > e scales, X 1 1 /a, f floret, X 3 V 8 - g— k D. gigantea: g head, 



X 1 V 3 ! h floret, X 3 1 ,'->, i lobe of ligule, X 24, k unripe achene, X 6 2 /»- 



Larger than most of its congeners, reaching a height of 8 — 10 m; the 

 thickest stem measured was 28,5 cm in diameter 1 m above the ground. The 

 leaves not rarely attain V2 rn, those of young trees which have not yet flowered 

 reaching enormous dimensions (largest measured 85 cm long, including the 

 4 cm long petiole, and 26 cm broad). Only old dry pieces of the inflorescence 

 were known before. The panicles are broad ovoid and over 1 m high, and 

 contain many thousand heads. The branches of the first and second order are 

 supported by subsessile, ovate acuminate foliaceous bracts; those of the last 

 order are more rigid than the others, 4 — 6 cm long, and exit under an angle 

 of 45 to 60°; they bear a pseudo-corymb of 10 to 20 heads, each supported 

 by a bract. The pedicels are short, with 1 — 3 small bracteoles. Head narrow 

 campanulate, 12 — 13 mm long and about 8 mm across; involucre green and 

 purple, 9 — 10 mm high, 4 — 5 mm wide above the funnel-shaped base, composed 

 of c. 13 scales, the outer linear-triangulate with pubescent tip, the inner almost 

 linear, 8 mm long. Flowers about 25; corolla 10 mm long, creamy white, 

 purplish when old; ligule split almost to its base into five narrow segments 

 with convolute, slightly penicillate tips; stamens yellow; style hardly darker 



