6 MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN [VOL. 10 



Merostachys retrorsa McClure, sp. nov. 



Culmi debiles "vix erecti, usque ad 2.5 metrales, " internodiis (infimum tan- 

 tum suppetit) inanis, dempta zona angusta albo-strigosa infra nodos (infimos 

 saltern) glabris, nodis cicatrice tantum modice prominentibus, culmi vaginis 

 desideratis; rami aliquantum (saltern in specimine) inaequales, basi tantum 

 divisi, internodiis elongatis, antrorse vel retrorse tomentosis don mm glabrescen- 

 tibus, rami vaginis desideratis; foliorum vaginae arctae, dorso papillosae, secus 

 marginem externam albo-tomentosae alibi glabrae vel seabrae vel pro parte 

 hispidulae, inferiores vix striatae supremae striatae, auriculis obsoletis, setis 

 oralibus crebris, pallidis, asperis, usque ad 10 mm longis, apice gracillimis fra- 

 gilibus demum detritis, ligula interior brevissima vulgo non exserta, ligula 

 exterior glabra, nitida, apice concava, margine integra vel minutissime ciliolata ; 

 foliorum laminae usque ad 20 cm longae et usque ad 38 mm latae, lanceolatae 

 vel ovato-lanceolatae vel oblongo-lanceolatae, apicem versus obtusulum acumi- 

 natum angustatae, basi in petiolum ca. 4 mm longum marginibus ciliolatum 

 alibi glabrum haud pulvinatum paullatim rotundatae, pagina superiore prope 

 marginem externam antrorse asperae, alibi paginis utrisque glabrae et papil- 

 lulosae, marginibus spinulosae ; costa invalide manifesta, venulis transversis dis- 

 tantibus pagina inferiore mediocriter insignibus, pagina superiore non manifestis. 



Inflorescentia (racemus seeundus) ramos foliiferos vel vaginiferos terminans, 

 pedunculo 6-17 cm exserto gracili, dempta parte superiore pubescenti glabro, 

 passim papilluloso, rhachi usque ad 8 cm longa, albo-villosa, tereti, supra inser- 

 tionem pedicellorum sulcata, bracteis pedicellos subtendentibus minutis vel 

 obsoletis, pedicellis 2-10 mm sese distantibus, usque ad 2 mm longis, albo-sericeis ; 

 spiculae retrorsae, uniflorae, pleraeque 16-17 mm longae fusiformes, infima 

 supremaeque 1-5 immaturae, rachillae segmento (dempta superiore setiformi) 

 tereti vix 1 mm longo, albo-sericeo ; glumae vacuae paene 1 mm sese dist antes 

 rigido-papyraceae, carinatae, marginibus albo-ciliolatae, I : basi semiamplexi- 

 caulis, 5-7 mm longa, paene enerviis, apice apiculata, dorso puberula, II : basi 

 amplexicaulis, 8-9 mm longa (dempta aristula 1 mm longa), invalide 5-nervis, 

 dorso glabra; lemma 13-14 mm longum, induratum, glabrum, nitidum, obscuri- 

 nerve, prope tantum apicem mucronatum comosum invalide carinatum; palea 

 lemma aequans, valide indurata, inflata, dempto sulco semitubuliformi prope 

 apicem villosa, alibi glabra enervis, apice bicornis, cornibus adpresse albo- 

 hispidis ; lodiculae 3, hyalinae, invalide nervosae, apice pauciciliolatae alibi 

 glabrae, diversiformes inaequalesque, anteriores ca. 4 mm longae, semiovato- 

 Iauceolatae, posteriore ca. 3 mm longa, lanceolata ; antherae apice bicornutae, 

 connectivo haud producto ; ovarium glabrum fuscum ; styli elongati glabri ; stig- 

 mata lanciformia omnino nigro-villosa. Fructus maturus desideratus. 



Type. On portage trail along Rio Tirica (Rio Aparuren) just above Techine- 

 meru, alt. 470 m, Chimanta Massif, 16 Jan 1955, Bolivar, Venezuela, J. A. Steyer- 

 mark & John J. Wurdack 117 (holotype US, isotype NY). 



In general appearance, especially in the retrorse orientation of the spikelets, 

 this species resembles M. pauciflora (as pauciflorus) Swallen, which differs most 

 conspicuously in the distinctly smaller dimensions of the leaf blades and all 

 external parts of the infloreseence, in the closer approximation of the second 

 glume to the lemma in length, the prominent exsertion of the palea beyond the 

 tip of the lemma, and the soft, not indurate, texture of both lemma and palea. 



