1963] BOTANY OF THE GUAYANA HIGHLANDS PART V &3 



margins, cupule reddish, fruit green, nitid, oblong, open dwarf forest, north- 

 facing slopes on summit above valley of Cano Mojado, Chimanta Massif, Torono- 

 tepui, Bolivar, Venezuela, 2030-2150 m, 21 Feb 1955, Julian A. Steyermark & 

 John J. Wurdack 1041 (holotype, fl., fr. NY). 



Distribution. Small tree known from type locality, Torono-tepui, Chimanta, 

 Bolivar, Venezuela, along Carlo banks or in open dwarf forest from 1895 to 

 2500 m and from the Cumbre of the Carom region. VENEZUELA. Bolivar: 

 along banks of Cano Mojado, east of north escarpment, below upper falls of 

 Cano Mojado, Steyermark & Wurdack 960 (fl. buds, NY) ; Cumbre del Cerro 

 Acopan, Carom, Car dona 2270 (fl. US) ; summit of Carrao-tepui, Steyermark 

 60897 (fl. F). 



The leaves densely clustered at the branchlet-tips, their shape, their prom- 

 inent venation, the lateral nerves arising at virtually right angles to the midrib 

 and continuing straight to the margin, make this species unique in the genus. 

 The nearest affinity seems to be with the group to which O. esmeraldana belongs. 

 It is separated from this exceedingly variable taxon by the leaf characteristics 

 just mentioned, as well as by having an inflorescence shorter than and obscured 

 by the leaf-clusters. 



The species is named for Dr. John J. Wurdack, collector and student of tropi- 

 cal flora, who has been generous with his assistance to all who have labored in 

 this area. 



Ocotea roraimae Mez, Repert. Sp. Nov. 16: 307. 1920. 



Type. Baum im unteren Walde, Roraima, 1900 m, Jan 1910, E. Vie 8606 

 ( isotype, fl., fragm. & photo. F, photo. NY). 

 Vernacular Name. Cavi si-yek (Bernardi). 



Distribution. Tree with hermaphrodite flowers known from the slopes of 

 Mount Roraima, British Guiana, and from neighboring mountains in the sand- 

 stone area of Amazonas, Venezuela, up to 2200 m. VENEZUELA. Bolivar: 

 vicinity of Bluff Camp, at base of west-facing sandstone bluffs at Chimanta-tepui 

 (Torono-tepui), 1700 m, Steyermark 75614 (fr. NY), 75607 (fr. NY) ; bosques 

 de montana del Aprada Tepuy, Uriman, Bernardi 978 (fl. NY), orillas del Rio 

 Icabaru, eerca del campo diamantifero de Uaiparu, 6583 (y. fr. NY), 6631 (fl. 

 NY ) . Amazonas : occasional in scrub forest 4 km north of Cumbre Camp, summit 

 of Cerro d^ la Neblina, Rio Yatua, Maguire, Wurdack & Bunting 37173 (fl. NY), 

 37184 (fl. NY) ; infrequent in upper basin of Canon Grande above Salto Grande, 

 Magnire, Wurdack & Maguire 42361 (fl. NY). 



The Bernardi numbers show leaves less pubescent and larger than those 

 described by Mez from Ule's collection, but are otherwise similar. Steyermark 

 75607, if correctly placed, bears leaves less acuminate than those of the type, 

 but even more densely pubescent on the lower surface and young branchlets. 

 The detached fruit, however, although in a younger stage of development, is 

 characteristic of the species. 



The fruiting specimen of Holt & Blake 705, collected at Cerro Yapacana in 

 the upper Rio Negro region of Amazonas, Venezuela, was compared by A. C. 

 Smith at Kew with the flowering type. The oblong-ellipsoid fruit is over 2 cm 



ser II, ventral, X 10. Ze, stamen, ser I & II, ventral, X 10. Ze', stamen, ser I & II, dorsal, X 10. 

 Zf, stamen, ser III, ventral, X 10. Zf, stamen, ser III, dorsal, X 10. Zg', staminodium, ser IV, 

 dorsal, X 10. Zh, ovary, X 10. Z", fruit (very young), x 0.5. 



