86 



MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



[VOL. 10 



long-; fruit [probably immature] pale green (Steyermark), -about 5 nun in 

 diameter. 



VENEZUELA: Bolivar: by waterfall, Salto de Iraba-naima, along Kio Karuai, at south- 

 western base of Ptari-tepui, elevation 1220 m, Nov 28, 1944, Steyermarlc 60702 (F, type) ; 

 Chimanta massif, "common shrub" at rapids of Kio Apacara on igneous rock, western side 

 of Apacara-tepui, elevation 415 m, March 29, 1953, Steyermarlc 74689 (F). 



The affinities of this plant are clearly with the other species of Marlierea 

 sect. Myrciopsis, and not with the majority of species usually assigned to A ato- 

 my rcia. As pointed out above, however, in the discussion under M. bipennis, the 

 line between Myrcia (in the inclusive sense) and Marlierea is not to be drawn 

 here without some difficulty. The present species has the inflorescence of Mar- 

 lierea and the wings on the branchlets (not noted by Steyermark in the original 

 description) are typically marlieroid. The measurements given by Steyermark 

 for the calyx-lobes are apparently taken from the buds at post-anthesis. after the 

 splitting of the hypanthium. 



29. Marlierea ligustrina McVaugh, sp. nov. 



Arbor parva, glabra (petalis gemmisque exceptis) ; gemmis sericeis, pilis albis 

 obsitis; ramulis exalatis; foliis rigide coriaceis, apice obtiisis, ad basin acutis vel 

 rotundatis, 4-7 cm longis, ellipticis vel ovatis; petiolis 3-5 mm Lorigis; paniculis 

 4-7 cm longis, 30-35-floris, validis, pedunculis 3-floris, 0.7-0.8 mm latis; alabas- 

 tris glabris, clausis, 3 mm longis; calyce in lobos inaequales dirumpenti, lobo 

 maximo concavo, calyptratim deciduo ; hypanthii margine tenuissimo, revoluto; 

 staminum orbe glabro. 



Small tree to 10 m high, glabrous except the petals and the vegetative buds, 

 the latter silky with appressed white or at first pale reddish hairs up to 0.5 mm 

 long; leaves rigidly coriaceous, elliptic or ovate, (2-) 3-4.5 em wide, (4-) 5-7 

 cm long, (1.5-) 2-2.3 times as long as wide, obtusely pointed or obscurely acu- 

 minate, acute or sometimes rounded at the base, the margins decurrent on the 

 channeled petiole 1.5-2 mm thick, 3-5 mm long ; midvein flat or convex above 

 (channeled shallowly near the base in some of the largest leaves), more promi- 

 nent beneath especially near the base ; lateral veins about 10 pairs, the number 

 indefinite because of branching and intermediate veins, all inconspicuous above, 

 readily apparent beneath; marginal vein about equaling the laterals and some- 

 what arched between them, 1-2 mm from the margin ; blade smooth and lustrous 

 above, dull and not so smooth beneath, gland-dotted both sides but more notice- 

 ably so beneath ; inflorescence axillary and terminal, the axillary paired panicles 

 4-7 cm Ion* 3 times compound, thickly beset with small convex glands, 30-35- 

 flowered, the flowers mostly in 3 's near the tips ; peduncle 3-4 cm long, com- 

 pressed, 1.5-2 mm wide just below the lowest node ; bracts subtending panicles 

 (on the terminal shoots) ovate, scarious, to 2 mm long, deciduous; bracteoles 

 linear-lanceolate, attenuate, scarious, glabrous, 1 mm long, deciduous when the 

 buds are very small; buds 3 mm long, obovoid or w T hen young cylindric, com- 

 pletely closed, the apex rounded, apiculate ; calyx opening somewhat irregularly 

 into several lobes, the largest of these concave, calyptra-like, 1.5 mm wide, includ- 

 ing the apiculum and comprising the major part of the calyx ; smaller lobes ovate 

 or triangular, much smaller than the calyptra and soon reflexed with the thin 

 margin of the hypanthium; hypanthium in anthesis broadly campanulate, pro- 

 longed 1-1.5 mm beyond the summit of the ovary, the margins very thin and 

 abruptly revolute, the disk 2-2.5 mm wide; style about 4 mm long; stamens 

 about 100, as long as the style, the anthers 0.3 mm long; petals 2, 2 mm long, 



