1958] 



THE BOTANY OF THE QUAY AN A HIGHLAND PART III 



123 



immersed venation, there is difficulty. The two species are known only from the 

 types. The material is essentially incomparable, as one is in fruit, the other in 

 flower. The stems of the branchlets are blackish in A. schultesii, the petioles 

 much longer, 4^4.5 cm long, black, the blades relatively longer and narrower, 

 not as hoar-frost-white beneath but rather the color of those of A. excelsum. The 

 under side of the leaves is covered for the greater part with very short grey 

 appressed hairs, while those of A. glaucum are either glabrous or have scattered 

 longer hairs along or near the midrib. The young leaves and calyx of A. 

 schultesii have a sulphur-colored indumentum; and whereas the buds of A. glau- 

 cum are also colored, they are of a different hue, a shade of pale tawny, and the 

 indumentum consists of longer hairs. From consideration of the different habi- 

 tats of the two plants, it would seem unlikely that they represent variations of 

 the same species. A. schultesii was collected on a low ridge separating two 

 watersheds, headwaters of Ira-lgarape and Igarape Abiu, affluent of Rio Taraira, 

 Amazonas, Brazil, in a typical balata-type forest, in a region of endemism (com- 

 munication from Dr. Schultes). 



A leaf of the type was sent to Heber W. Youngken for microscopic examina- 

 tion. Dr. Youngken wrote: "I have made a microscopic examination of portions 

 of the leaf and find that the scurfy material which can be scraped off from the 

 lower surface consists largely of outgrowths of the epidermal cells as conical to 

 branched, unicellular hairs, the branched type occurring in several forms, the 

 main stalk frequently bifurcate at its distal end int.) straight or curved sharp- 

 pointed branches, another form resembling somewhat the antlers of the deer or 

 antelope. Many of the hairs possess an indistinct lumen ; in others it is ex- 

 tremely narrow, and the walls are greatly cuticularized. Some cuticular scales 

 also occur." 



Aspidosperma neblinae Monachino, sp. nov. Figure 15. 



Arbor; foliis alternis primo subtus tomentulosis dein puberulis ; petiolis ca. 

 1 cm longis; laminis obovatis, 7-11 cm longis, 3.5-5 cm lat is, ad basin cuneatis, 

 ad apicem rotundatis. venis prominulis; floribus congestis; pedicellis quam calyce 

 brevioribus; sepalis 3-4 mm lonuis, extus tomentulosis; corolla glabra, tubo angu- 

 lato, 4.3 mm longo, lobis lineari-lanccolatis acutis, 3.7 mm longis; staminibus 

 media tubi corollae insertis; antheris 0.95 mm longis; ovario glabro ; fructibus 

 ovali-pyriformibus velutinis, 7-9 cm longis, 3.5-6 cm latis, stipite 1.5-2 cm longo ; 

 seminibus plusminusve orbicularibus membranaceo-alatis, usque ad (i cm latis ; 

 cotyledonis orbicularibus, ca. 2 cm diam. 



Tree 5-15 m tall, the stems of the branchlets moderately stout, closely to- 

 mentulose when young; leaves alternate (rarely subopposite) . coriaceous, closely 

 grey- (faintly tawny-) tomentulose beneath when young, becoming merely puberu- 

 lent ; petiole short, about 1 (-1.5) cm long, dark-colored; blade oblong-obovate or 

 obovate-euneate at the base, rounded to subemarginate at the apex, (6-) 7-11 cm 

 long. 3.5-5 cm wide, the venation somewhat prominulose, the midrib little raised 

 on the upper surface; inflorescence corymbiform ; flowers white, crowded, the 

 pedicel shorter than the calyx ; sepals acutish, 3-4 mm long, closely grey-tomentu- 

 lose outside, hairy within on the upper part ; corolla glabrous, the tube angulate, 

 slightly exserted from the calyx, 4.3 mm long, the lobes spiral-contorted in aesti- 

 vation, sharply acute, linear-lanceolate, about as long as the corolla-tube, 3.7 mm 

 long; stamens inserted at about the middle of the corolla-tube, the anthers 0.95 

 mm long ; ovary glabrous ; fruit stipitate, woody, oval-pyriform, flattened, grey- 



