58 MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN I VOL. 10 



leviter longioribus, locellis satis magnis; gynoecio ad 1.1 mm longo, ovario ovoideo 

 quam stylo gracili duplo longiori. Infructescentia et fructus ignoti. 



Type. Tree 50 cm DBH, leaves alternate, exstipulate, buds green, 12 km east 

 of Ranch House, headwaters of Rio Saca, Hato La Vergarena, Bolivar, Venezuela, 

 420-500 m, 18 Oct 1954, J. J. Wurdack & N. G. L. Guppy 91 (fl. NY). 



Vernacular names. Chupon (Wurdack & Guppy) ; Itauba (Froes). 



Distribution. Tree to 10 m, known only from the type locality, Venezuela, and 

 from Para, Brazil. VENEZUELA. Bolivar: Hato La Vergarena, Wurdack & 

 Guppy 114 (st. NY). BRAZIL. Para: Igarape da lama, terra firme, mata virgeni, 

 Planalto de Santarem, Froes 30976 (fl. NY). 



This has been associated with M . lindaviana Schwacke & Mez, described from 

 Rio Branco and reported from Amazonas and Minas Gerais also in Brazil and 

 from British Guiana. I have seen neither the type of the latter species, Schwacke 

 7080, with Glaziou 19798 associated with it, nor the type of Silvia duckei (Ducke 

 16302) which Kostermans includes in the species. However, from the descriptions 

 and material at hand, M. wurdackiana appears to be distinct from the Rio Branco 

 taxon. The leaves are larger (25-30 cm long and 10-12 cm wide), less broadly 

 obovate and very long-attenuate at the base, opaque rather than shining above, 

 and the inflorescences are approximately half the length of the leaves. 



Mezilaurus maguireana C. K. Allen, sp. nov. Fig. 35. 



Arbor ad 15 m alt., gemmis ovoideis acutis vel brevi-acuminatis fulvo-sericeo- 

 pubescentibus, ramulis obscure striatis teretibus pallide adpresse fulvo-pubescent- 

 ibus. Folia subverticillata, petiolis satis robustis mox incrassescentibus praecipue 

 ad basim fulvo-pubescentibus ± teretibus, (15-) 20-25 mm longis, laminis supra 

 pallide viridescentibus saepe minute areolatis papillosis, subtus sparse fulvo- 

 pubescentibus glabrescentibus glaucescentibus, subcoriaceis, ellipticis, (8-) 15-20 

 cm longis et (3-) 6-7.5 cm latis, ad basim oblique acutis, ad apicem obtuse acutis 

 acuminatisve, acumine ad 2.5 cm longa apiculata, aliquando emarginatis, pen- 

 ninerviis costa supra glabra subtus leviter conspicue fulvo-pubescenti elevata, 

 nervis 8-9-paribus pallide luteis, ad angulo 55-45° divergentibus, rete venularum 

 gracili supra ± obscuro subtus conspicuore. Inflorescentia subterminalis anguste 

 paniculata, satis gracilis, glabra ad basim leviter sparseque pubescens, pedunculo 

 ad 7 cm longo. Flores 5-9, in umbellis terminal ibus, ad 6 mm longi, pedicellis 

 3-4 (-5) mm longis satis gracilibus ; perianthio campanulato, luteo fide coll., 

 ± camoso glabro, lobis ovatis leviter incurvatis margine hyalinis, ad 1 mm longis 

 et 0.8 mm latis, tubo ad 1 mm longo; staminibus ser I & IT O, ser III fertilibus 

 carnosis pubescentibus ad 0.6 mm longis, filamentis indistinctis eglandulosis, 

 antheras aequantibus, locellis satis magnis, ser IV O ; gynoecio ad 1.2 mm longo, 

 ovario ovoideo glabro quam stylo gracili duplo longiore. Infructescentia et fructus 

 ignoti. 



Type. Tree 15 m, flowers yellow, forest edge just east of Maroa, Rio Guainia, 

 Amazonas, Venezuela, 120-140 m, 5 Oct 1957, Bassett Maguire, John J. Wurdack 

 & William M. Keith 41698 (holotype, fl. NY). 



Distribution. A tree to '15 m, known only from the lowland area along the 

 Rio Guainia in Amazonas, Venezuela, the type locality. 



The nearest relative of this species is M. sprucei (Meissner) Taubert ex Mez, 

 known to date only from the type locality near San Gabriel de Cachoeira on the 

 Rio Negro, in Amazonas, Brazil. The latter, however, has consistently smaller 

 leaves sharply long-acuminate, and a weak, pendulous, very tenuous inflorescence 



