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MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



[VOL. 10 



BIA, Vaupes. Rio Guainia : Rio Naquieni at base of Cerro Monachi, Schultes & 

 Lopez 10129. BRAZIL, Amazonas. Rio Icana : Tunui, Froes 28127. 



The specific epithet refers to the usual species habitat, on crystalline monad- 

 nocks with hazardous phenocrysts. M. platypoda has the same pubescence and 

 foliage as M. cautis, but inflorescences as in Diplostachyae and the inflorescence 

 hairs pale. Both species have stellulate-puberulous ovary apices and a few incon- 

 spicuous glandular hypanthial hairs. A second collection, with a considerable 

 range extension, of M. platypoda is Ducke 15031 (MG), from the Rio Erepecuru 

 at the Serra do Camahu, Para, Brazil. 



Both species are related to M. undata Tr., with glabrous foliage, 5-merous 

 flowers, and a glabrous hypanthium. The holotype (Spruce 2000, K) of the 

 Barcellos endemic has been examined ; the single open flower dissected by Triana 

 has anthers 1/3 larger than in M. cautis and oblong petals 2.2 mm long (dry). 

 The ovary is sparsely and minutely puberulous apically and one of four ob- 

 servable buds was 4-merous; both the inflorescence and calyx lobes (but not the 

 hypanthium) are sparsely stcllnlate-furfuraceous with hairs somewhat smaller 

 than in M. cautis, but there is no trace of gland-tipped hairs. Spruce's field 

 notes read: "Rio Negro-stony forest as far as Barcellos, but not yet in flr. 

 Nov./51. Weak shrub 4-6 ft. PI. white." All three species are suggestive in 

 flowers of Leandra sect. Tschudya, especially (ex char.) L. pulverulent a (DC.) 

 Cogn. ; that species has (fide Cogniaux) ciliate 3-5-nerved leaves and a densely 

 setulose ovary. 



Miconia curta (Gleason) Wurdack, comb. nov. 



Graff enrieda curta Gleas. Fieldiana Bot. 28: 431. 1952. 



The blunt dorsal stamen connective tooth, the 1/3 inferior ovary, and the 

 baccate fruit (seen in recent collections, as well as in the paratype) all require 

 placement of this species in Miconia. The calyx is not closed in bud, but with 

 imbricate stellulate-fringed lobes. Of the available flowers in the various collec- 

 tions, 21 were 4-merous and 26 5-merous. Of the ovaries dissected, 3 were 4-celled 

 and 5 3-celled. Most of the leaf blades are shortly plinerved, with occasional 

 basally nerved ones ; the blade bases are broadly acute to obtuse (and not rounded 

 as on the holotype). M. curta is rather similar to M. laevigata (L.) DC. in the 

 pubescence and membranous calyx lobes, but differs in the denser leaf veinlet 

 reticulation, convex-sided sepals, and somewhat prolonged stamen connective 

 with only a dorsal tooth. 



Miconia curta (Gleas.) Wurdack subsp. ptariensis Wurdack, subsp. nov. 



Ovarii apex setulis ca. 10, 0.8-1.7 mm longis 5 alternatim 0.8 mm longis. 



Type. Shrub 3 m, flowers white, occasional in woodland, southwest slopes of 

 Ptari-tepui, Edo. Bolivar, Venezuela, alt. 1600-2000 m, 17 Dec 1952, Bassett 

 Maguire & John J. Wurdack 33871 (holotype US 2342478). Paratype. VEN- 

 EZUELA, Edo. Bolivar. Ptari-tepui : forested south-facing slopes on "Cave 

 Rock," alt. 1810 m, Steyermark 59518. 



In the typical subspecies (now known from Duida, Huachamacari, Guaiqui- 

 nima, and the Chimanta Massif), the ovary apex is truncate and sparsely 

 stellulate-furfuraceous, but with no trace of setae. 



