144 



MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



[VOI, 10 



Comolia ayangannae Wurdack, sp. no v. 



Ab omnibus speciebus ovariis 4-locularibus differt foliis lanceolatis bene 

 petiolatis connectivo postice distincte ealcarato. 



Frutex ad 1 m ; rami primum quadrangulati demum teretes et decorticantes 

 petiolis inflorescentiis sepalis extus hypanthiisque modice vel dense setulosi pilis 

 0.15-0.3 mm longis setulis glanduliferis sparse intermixtis. Petioli 0.7-1.2 cm ; 

 lamina 2.5-5 X 1-2 em lanceolata vel late ^nceolata apice anguste acuta basi 

 obtusa membranacea 5-nervata jugis ad basim breviter (0.5-1 mm) coalitis nervis 

 secundariis nervulisque supra invisus subtus inconspicue elevatis et laxe retic- 

 ulars, supra et subtus sparse inconspicueque strigulosa pilis 0.1-0.2 mm longis, 

 ad margines inconspicue serrulata dentibus ciliolatis 0.1-0.2 mm altis et 1.5-2 

 mm inter se distantibus. Panicula racemiformis 3-6 cm longa plerumque 6-9- 

 flora; pedicelli (3-) 10-15 mm longi ; bracteolae 0.6-0.9 mm longae lanceolatae 

 setulosae ca. 3 mm infra hypanthium insertae persistentes. Hypanthium 4 mm 

 long-urn ; calycis tubus 1 mm longus, lobis 4-6 mm longis anguste lanceolatis intus 

 glabris. Petala 15.5-17 X 9 mm asymmetrice ovato-elliptica apicem versus sparse 

 glanduloso-ciliolata alioqui glabra. Stamina vix dimorphica glabra, filamentis 

 7-7.5 mm longis, thecis anguste subulatis curvatis. Stamina maiora: thecae 7 mm 

 longae, connectivo 1.3 mm prolongato dorsaliter ad basim cum calcari hebeti-acuto 

 1.3 X 0.5 mm ventraliter cum appendice bilobata 1.5 mm longa. Stamina minora: 

 thecae 4.2 mm longae, connectivo 0.7 mm prolongato dorsaliter ad basim calcari 

 0.3 mm longo ventraliter appendice bilobata 0.8 mm longa. Stylus 16 X 0.3 mm ; 

 stigma truncatum ; ovarium glabrum 4-loculare ; capsula immatura 4-valvata. 



Type. Leaves thin, brittle, dark above, lighter beneath, calyx green, corolla 

 pink above and near-white beneath, anthers yellow, locally frequent in scrub and 

 low forest on shoulder of east flank of Mt. Ayanganna above Thompson Camp, 

 upper Mazaruni River basin, Pakaraima Mts., British Guiana, alt. 1418-1585 m, 

 10-11 Aug 1960, Stephen 8. Tillett, Carolyn L. Tillett, & Rufvs Boyan 45077 

 (holotype US 2343860). 



The label notes mentioned "flowers 4- or 5-merous," but only one of 40 

 observable flowers was 5-merous. Technically C. ayangannae would key to near 

 C. stenodon (Naud.) Triana and C. latifolia (Aubl.) Cogn. ; the former differs in 

 the rigid shorter-petioled densely glandular-setulose leaves and much smaller 

 stamen-connective appendages, while the French Guiana species, obscurely known 

 since the original description, is a "hirsute-villose" species with "subrotund" 

 leaves. In stamen form (but not vegetatively), C. ayangannae is much closer to 

 several *species in Sect. Comolia, or to Acisanthera alsinaefolia (DC.) Triana. 

 Within Acisanthera, placement would technically be in Sect. Dichaetandra; the 

 only species of this section, A. goudotii (Naud.) Triana, has long aristate ventral 

 connective appendages and is altogether so remarkably like (ex Macbride photo- 

 graphs) Ernestia ovata Cogn. that only a reexamination of the Cogniaux-implied 

 "glabrous" ovary will establish the correct generic placement of the Goudot 

 material. As for A. tetraphylla (Cogn.) Gleason, the capsules of all specimens 

 seen by me are bivalved and therefore the ovary probably 2-celled, implying 

 placement near A. hedyotidea (Presl) Triana. 



Comolia montana Gleason. 



From extensive Chimanta Massif collections, this species seems constantly 

 (albeit weakly) separable from C. coriacea Gleason by its glabrous (except for 

 the toral region) hypanthium and young leaf surfaces (except the margins), as 



