1963] 



BOTANY OF THE GUAYANA HIGHLANDS PART V 



43 



Type. Cerro de la Neblina, Rio Yatua, Amazonas, Venezuela, frequent on 

 escarpment slopes above Camp 5, alt. 1600-1700 m, 17 Nov 1957, " suffrutescent, 

 to 1.5 m tall; spikes erect, green." B. Maguire, J. J. Wurdack & Celia Maguire 

 42047 (holotype, NY). 



The plant parts glabrous with the exception of the puberulent lower leaf 

 surface and ciliate margin, and rather long peduncle and obpyramidal-trigonous 

 fruits are distinctive features of this species. The name indicates its close relation- 

 ship with P. duiadense Trelease, from which it differs in its major lateral nerves 

 originating from the midrib below the middle. 



Piper neblinanum Yuncker, sp. nov. 



Frutex parvus glaber ramosus ; foliis lanceolatis apice subfalcatim acuminatis 

 basi ad petiolum subaequali cuneatim decurrentibus totis pinnatim venosis, 

 nerviis utrinque 4-6, subtus conferte glanduloso-punctatis ; bracteis arete trian- 

 gulari-subpeltatis margine conferte luteo-fimbriatis, drupa obpyramidali-trigona 

 apice depresso-truncata. 



A small glabrous branching shrub, 1 m high ; upper internodes slender, 1-3 

 cm long. Leaves lanceolate, the apex subfalcately acuminate, the base subequi- 

 lateral, cuneate-decurrent, 2-8 cm wide and 10-12 cm long, pinnately nerved 

 throughout, the nerves 4-6 on each side, submarginally loop-connected, with 

 obscure cross-connecting-anastomosing nervules, strongly glandular-dotted be- 

 neath, drying chartaceous, green, paler beneath, translucent, pellucid-dotted; 

 petiole 2-5 mm long, vaginate at the base. Spikes becoming 3-4 mm thick and 

 4 cm long when mature, the peduncle 10-13 mm long, the bracts narrowly trian- 

 gular-subpeltate, strongly yellow-fringed, the ovary ovoid, with acute apex and 

 small stigmas, the fruit obpyramidal-trigonous, glabrous, with truncate-depressed 

 apex. 



Type. Cerro de la Neblina, Rio Yatua, Amazonas, Venezuela, in Clusia scrub 

 forest just south of Camp 3, alt. 700 m, 14-16 Nov 1957, B. Maguire, J. J. 

 Wurdack & Celia Maguire 42082 (holotype, NY). 



The glabrous parts, narrowly lanceolate leaves, few nerves, and obpyramidal- 

 trigonous fruits are characters that distinguish this species. It differs from 

 P. nigrispicum C. de Candolle of northern Brazil, which it resembles somewhat, 

 in its narrower, more strongly glandular-dotted leaves, and usually longer 

 peduncles. The name is derived from that of the region where it was collected. 



Peperomia neblinana Yuncker, sp. nov. 



Herba sat parva diffusa subdichotoma ramosa rhizomatosa, caule minute 

 hirtulo; foliis alternis late ovatis apice rotundatis basi truncatis ad petiolam 

 abrupte subacutis obscure hirtulo-glabrescentibus ciliatis palmatim 5-nerviis, 

 petiolo minute hirtulo; spicis terminalibus dissite florigeris, pedunculo glabro, 

 drupa subturbinato-cylindrica apice mammiforme, stigmate apicali. 



A rather small, spreading, subdichotomously branched, rhizomatous herb, 

 rooting from the lower nodes ; stem minutely hirtellous, 1-2 mm thick when dry, 

 the leafy branches ascending to 10 cm. Leaves alternate, broadly ovate, with 

 rounded apex and truncate base abruptly subacute at the petiole, obscurely 

 hirtellous-glabrescent, ciliolate, the apex bristly so, palmately 5-nerved, the 

 slender nerves and midrib branched upward, variable in size, 7-8 mm wide and 

 1-2 cm long, drying thin and membranous, translucent; petiole 5-10 mm long, 

 minutely hirtellous. Spikes terminal, loosely flowered, 1 mm thick and up to 2 cm 



