56 New Species of South American Plants 



ish, the pubescence rather sparse, the venation prominent on 

 both sides, especially beneath where the principal veins are 

 very strong. Inflorescence densely aggregated at the ends, the 

 raceme at length elongating, in fruit becoming 6 or 7 cm. long, 

 inclusive of the peduncle, which is a half or two-thirds of the 

 length, erect-spreading, the fruits crowded, nearly sessile, the 

 bracts narrowly linear, bright-green, serrulate, as long as the 

 calyx, which in flower is 6 mm. high, lobed about half-way, the 

 lobes triangular-ovate, acute, sub-hyaline with a strong green 

 midrib and two fine green nerves. Corolla 6 mm. broad. Sta- 

 mens equaling the 10 slender styles, with large stigmas. Ovary 

 2.5 mm. broad, depressed-globose, yellow, densely tomentose. 

 Caljoc enlarged in fruit, the lobes 6 mm. long, curved over the 

 capsule, which is 6 mm. broad, the 10 carpels subtended by a 

 10 or 12 toothed circular disk. Carpels 2 mm. high and a little 

 broader, deeply emarginate on the inner side, densely and 

 coarsely white-pilose, the solitary brown seed of the same form, 

 deeply sulcate on the back, the embryo with a well-formed 

 plumule. 



La Paz, Bolivia, 3,700 meters altitude, April 1910. (Otto 

 Buchtien, No. 2893.) 



Ayenia acuminata. 



Stems, etc., lightly strigose, stems and branches slender, 

 erect or ascending, 2 to 4 dm. high, the intemodes about as long 

 as the petioles, which are i to 1.5 cm. long and very slender. 

 Stipules subulate and attenuate, about 2 mm. long. Blades 2 

 to 5 cm. long, I to 2 cm. broad, ovate with rounded base and 

 regularly acuminate and acute summit, ciliate and serrate- 

 dentate with short and broad acutish teeth; glabrous above 

 except for some scattered hairs upon the midrib, the lower sur- 

 face with similar scattered hairs, 5-costate from the summit of 

 the petiole, the two lateral pairs short. Fascicles mostly 5- 

 flowered, the pedicels very slender, reflexed, up to 6 mm. long. 

 Calyx 1.5 mm. long, the lobes ovate, mucronate. Claws of the 

 petals filiform, nearly twice the length of the cslyx, the limb 

 glandular on the back. Gonophore slightly exceeding the 

 calyx in flower, twice as long in fruit, stout. Gonophore short, 

 much elongating in fruit. Fruit about 3 mm. long, a little 

 broader, densely muricate, the projections long-acuminate. 



"Occasional in clearings and waste ground below 2,500 feet, 

 generally in shade. Root often stout and 6 inches or more 

 long. Collected at Bonda, 150 feet, July-August." (Herbert 

 Smith, Colombia, No. 358.) 



Sterculia laxiflora. 



Mature foliage glabrous, the younger growth not seen, the 

 inflorescence and flowers densely yellowish-gray-tomentellate. 



