16 



MEMOIRS ■ OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



[VOL. 10 



4- Flores 31119 (NY). Mindanao: Todaya, Davao dist., Apr 1904, Copeland 1263 (US); 

 Zamboanga, Hiapan Mt., near Kabasalan, Nov 1940, Ebalo 699 (G) ; Malangas, Zamboanga 

 dist., Oct-Nov 1919, Ramos $ Edano (Bur. Sci) 36810 (US). Mindoro: Baco R., Apr-Mai 1905, 

 McGregor 189 (NY, US) ; Baeo R., Mar 1905, Merrill 4080 (NY, US) ; Mt. Halcon, Nov 1906, 

 Merrill 5486 (NY, US) ; Mt. Halcon, Mar 1922, Ramos 4' Edano (Bur. Sci.) 40704 (BO). 



CULT. : Jun 1922, van der Brink 1217 (U) ; H.B. 5270 (BO), 5299 (U) ; Koorders 

 15898(3 (BO), 16140 (L), 16145$ (BO), 16148$ (BO, L) ; Conservatories, Wilson 01561 

 (NY), etc. 



Vernacular names: Indonesia: "matoetoenak, " "toenak," "toendak," "tus- 

 schen," "kebareasoe," "gogotola." Philippines: "pusao" (Mindanao). 



8. commutatum is separated from the other species of this genus by a wide 

 stretch of Pacific Ocean, yet it is very closely allied to 8. cannaefolium of South 

 America and 8. laeve of Cocos Island (Costa Rica). 8. commutatum differs from 

 those species by its broadly elliptic leaf-blade which is widest just at the middle, 

 and its spathe that is somewhat decurrent on the peduncle. The isolation of 

 8. commutatum from related American species must have occurred long ago. 



In the northern range of this species are found plants of very great vigor and 

 size, with the spathe subcordate at the base, and the rostrate pistils conspicuous- 

 ly exceeding the perianth. Pending further investigation, this form was not 

 named. 



3. S. laeve Engl. Bot. Jahrb. 37: 120. 1905. Figure 1. 



Leaf-blade oblique, oblong-elliptic, 35-41 cm long and 10.5-12.5 cm wide, 

 the apex acuminate, the base acute, marginally undulate, primary lateral veins 

 many, arising at an angle of 55-65° ; petiole ca. 60 cm long, alate in the lower 

 half; geniculum ca. 1.2 cm long. Peduncle 71-92 cm long; spathe oblong, 16-20 

 cm long and 2.7-3.8 cm wide, marginally undulate, attenuate-acuminate at 

 the apex, the base acute and decurrent on the peduncle ca. 1 cm ; spadix 8.4-10.2 

 cm long, on a stipe 1.4—1.8 cm long; perianth a membranous, 4—6-sided cup; 

 pistil obpyramidal, the apex truncate, only the elevated stigma exceeding the 

 perianth ; ovary 3-locular, the ovules affixed upon a sub-basal pad in each locule, 

 varying from 5-3 in each of the 3 locules, totaling 13-9 ovules per ovary ; fruiting 

 spadix smooth ; fruit subcylindric or with a constriction near the center, the seeds 

 located above the constriction ; mature seeds only 1 per locule, reniform-rotund 

 in profile, the surface slightly furrowed and foveolate, ± evenly verrucose. 



Type collection: H. Pittier 12370, "commune dans les bois, Vallee Gissler, 

 He Cocos, Pacifique," Costa Rica, 18 Jun 1898 (holotype B, isotype US). 



Distribution : Shady, cool, wet places on Cocos Island. 



COCOS ISLAND (Costa Rica) : Wafer and Chatham Valleys, common in shady and cool 

 places, Jan 1902, Pittier 16244 (GH, US) ; in densely shaded places on banks of streams near 

 sea-level, 1905-1906, Stewart 278 (GH, US). 



8. laeve is endemic to Cocos Island (in the Pacific some 300 miles off the 

 Costa Rican coast). Known from only three collections taken within eight years 

 of each other, it has not been recollected since 1906 ! This species links the one 

 American species with a cup-like perianth and the closely allied Indonesian- 

 Philippine species. The presence of a single distinct species on Cocos Island sheds 

 a dim light on the possible history of the dispersal of this genus. . 



8. laeve is closely related to the other two species of sect. Massowia, but differs 

 from them by its narrower spathe; it is further distinguished from 8. com- 

 mutatum by the placement of the ovules upon a sub-basal pad rather than being 

 superposed. 



It is noteworthy that Engler incorrectly identified Pittier 16244 as 8. wend- 

 landii Schott. 



