8(5 



MEMOIRS OP THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



[VOL. 10 



and 42, S of El Dorado, Steyermark 86654 (<? fl. NY), woods bordering savanna 

 by Rio Asa, above Raudal Cotua, S of La Paragua, 86761 ( fl. NY), woods m 

 vicinity of "Los Patos," 2 km SE of Los Patos, N of Rio Hacha about 15 km N 

 of Rio Supamo, 30 km S of El Manteco, 86951 ( ? fl. NY). BRAZIL. Amazonas: 

 occasional in woodland near Fazenda Natal, 10-12 km northeast of Fazenda 

 Vista Geral, Maguire & Maguire 40256 (fr. NY); Amapa: occasional in rain- 

 forest on Fritz Akerman Ore Body, Rio Amapari, Serro de Navio, Cowan & 

 Maguire 38114 ($ fl. NY). 



The identifying features of this species are the lanceolate-elliptic leaves, finely 

 reticulate above, usually equally attenuate at base and apex, and the densely 

 glomerulate pubescent inflorescences expanding to 25 or more cm in the fruiting 

 stage and becoming glabrescent. 



The Steyermark numbers bear flowers that are seemingly hermaphrodite. 

 Since in all other respects these sheets resemble the widely distributed 0. 

 glomerata, one must conclude that, in some areas at least, the species may be 

 polygamo-dioecious. Fruiting collections are not known from this region. Sub- 

 sequent collections may reveal that another taxon is involved. 



Ocotea tomentella Sandwith, Kew Bull. 1935 : 130. 1935. 



Type. Tree 120 ft high, 37 inches diam., small buttresses extending 15 ft up 

 trunk, flowers white, pedicels and peduncles very pale green, with brown-scurfy 

 tomentum, leaves dark green above, pale below, in mixed forest, Arawak Matope, 

 Cuyum River, about 300 ft, 17 Jul 1938, T. G. Tutin 375 (isotope J* fl., US). 



Vernacular Name. Baradan (Tutin, Maguire & Cowan, For. Dept. Brit. 

 Guiana). 



Distribution. Tall tree with dioecious flowers, known only from the type 

 locality and along neighboring rivers of British Guiana. BRITISH GUIANA. 

 Mazaruni Station, For. Dept. F 631 (3367) (2 fl. NY) ; Northwest Territory: 

 clearing for washing plant, Matthews Ridge, Barima River, Maguire & Cowan 

 39320 (Jfl.NY). 



The densely foliaged tree with long, stiff, sturdy inflorescences is characterized 

 by leaves with blades decurrent for up to 2.5 cm on the robust petioles. There 

 may be a possible relationship with Ocotea caracasana (Nees) Mez, which also 

 has dioecious flowers, based on Karsten 32, which type I have not seen, nor 

 material compared with it. From the description given by Mez, the following 

 differences emerge: Ocotea caracasana is a tree or shrub with ferruginous- 

 tomentellous inflorescences, branchlets, and young leaves, the mature leaves 13 

 cm long and 6 cm wide, borne on petioles up to 10 mm in length, slightly 

 canaliculate. Ocotea tomentella is a tall tree, reported to be 125 ft high, with 

 brown-tomentellous inflorescences and branchlets, the leaves up to 25 cm long 

 and 9.5 cm wide, borne on petioles up to 20 cm in length and deeply canaliculate. 

 The fruit of O. caracasana to my knowledge has not been collected. The fruiting 

 material cited by Sandwith*, Lockie 2035 from Camaria, is described by him 

 as being ellipsoid, up to 2 cm long and 1.2 cm broad, seated in a hemispheric 

 cupule 8-10 mm deep, commonly 1.2-1.3 cm in diameter, with simple, entire 

 margin, densely rugulose, glabrescent without, attenuated at its base into a 

 thickened pedicel 4-5 mm long. 



