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MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



[VOL. 10 



triangular-ovate anthers, while those of series III are broader and less attenuate 

 at the apex. 



Nectandra leucantha of Bentham, cited by Mez under N. globosa, based on 

 Spruce 3677, which is at hand, differs only slightly from the Guiana materials 

 examined. The leaves tend to be more rounded at the base with much more regular 

 venation, the latter calling to mind JV. caucana of Colombia, a species with 

 yellowish-pubescent branchlets and leaves with 12 or more pairs of veins. The 

 inflorescences of Spruce 3677 and the collections of N. pisi from Amazonas, Ven- 

 ezuela, above cited, are usually very full-flowered and often more corymbose, 

 but a similar internal structure of the flowers prevails. These variations appear, 

 from the rather sparse material available, to be more or less consistent within 

 the sandstone area of this part of Venezuela. 



Nectandra amhigua Meissner (in DC. Prodr. 15 1 : 158. 1864), based on Schom- 

 burgk 29 (isotype, fl. US), is very near the specimens representing N. pisi, except 

 for the opposite, 5 or 6 nerved leaves; the anthers, however, are long-ovate or 

 triangular-ovate, and the ovary, if globose, nearly equals the style. 



Nectandra lucida Nees, the type of which was collected by Martius near the 

 Japura River in upper Amazonia, I have not seen, but 8chomburgk 568, cited by 

 Mez, is at hand. This is similar to N. ambigua in flower as well as leaf-shape and 

 venation, but the branchlets and inflorescences tend to be more glabrescent, and 

 the leaves are alternate instead of opposite. Several collections by Krukoff* from 

 the Rio Acre and Rio Embira regions of Brazil have been referred to N. lucida, 

 but the veins of these numbers are consistently 8 or 9 pairs. 



The Nectandra glohosa based on Aublet's Laurus glohosa (PI. Guiane 1: 364. 

 1775) supposedly has globose fruit. I have seen no specimens belonging to the 

 pm-complex, collected in the area we are considering, with this type of fruit. 



It is of interest to note that except for minutely pubescent red-brown, angular 

 branchlets, the collection of Wurdack & Monachino 39722 (fl. NY) from Serrama 

 Imataca, Territorio Delta Amacuro, is very like the description of N pallida 

 Miqnel, the type of which I have not seen. 



Wurdack & Guppy 158 (fl. NY), from Hato La Vergarena, varies from the 

 Bolivar and Guiana collections in having more regularly lanceolate-elliptic leaves, 

 and fewer, stricter, racemose inflorescences not branching at the tip as do the 

 other specimens from this general region of Venezuela. 



From the above comments, it is obvious that the species is not a stable one, 

 to say the least, and undoubtedly needs much more critical study. It is obvious, 

 also, fhat a definitive treatment must be delayed until such time as more abundant 

 fruiting- material is available from all of the regions now represented in our 

 herbaria by only flowering material. 



• 



Nectandra rubra (Mez) C. K. Allen, comb. nov. 



Ocotea rubra Mez, Jahrb. Bpt. Gart. Berlin 5: 258. 1889. 

 Type. French Guiana, 'Melinon s.n. (isotype, fr. NY). 



Vernacular Names. Mana-choro-yek, Pachira-yu-yek, "Caobilla" Spanish 

 (Steyermark) . 



Distribution. A large tree to over 100 ft tall, and, according to Mez, a shrub 

 as well, reportedly used locally for construction, occurring from the Guianas to 

 Para and Maranhao, Brazil and in the sandstone area of Bolivar, Venezuela, up 

 to 1600 m. Mez has doubtfully reported it from Trinidad, basing the report on 

 a sterile specimen which I have not seen. VENEZUELA. Bolivar : SE of campa- 



