268 



MEMOIRS OF THE XEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEX 



Lonchocarpus pluvialis 



(Bolivian Eaiii-tree.) Finely, closely, and densely gray-to- 

 mentellate throughout. Branehlets slender, terete, flexuous. 

 Stipules not seen. Petioles about 4 cm. long, terete, ascending, 

 somewhat shorter than the rachis. Leaflets mostly 7, opposite, 

 the lower much smaller than the upper. Petiolules about 1 cm. 

 long, finely grooved above. Larger blades to 1 dm. long and half 

 as wide, oval or slightly obovate with obtuse, slightly produced 

 base and slightly and acutely mucronate summit, entire, thin, 

 gray-green, the terete midrib prominent beneath, the slender sec- 

 ondaries 12 to 15 on each side, ascending at about 45 degrees, 

 straight except at the up-curved ends, connected by the rather 

 crooked tertiaries. Axillary racemes pendulous, longer than 

 the internodes, subsimple, some of the peduncles bearing 2 or 3 

 flowers. Racemes of the ample terminal panicles recurved. 

 Bractlets wanting or caducous, not seen. Pedicels about 2 mm. 

 long, articulated into small cupulate bases which persist to make 

 the rachis nodose. Buds unopened and only partially mature, 

 the cah'x campanulate, 2 mm. long, and a little broader, shortly 

 5-too1hed, the teeth triangular, somewhat unequal. Corolla bud 

 5 nnn. long, oblong, obtuse. Vexillum about 8 mm. long and 

 equally broad, deeply emarginate, the lobes Avith rounded sum- 

 mit, the base 2-auricled on each side, the basal auricles less than 

 1 mm. long, obtuse, the claw about as long and broad. Wings 

 nearly as long as the vexillum, oblong with rounded summit, the 

 auricle similar to that of the vexillum, the claw slender, nearly 

 third of the total length. Petals of the keel very slightly 

 united above, separate below, a little shorter and wider than the 

 wings, the auricle less obvious, the claw about the same. Sta- 

 mens 10, monadelphous, unequal, united for two thirds of thf^ir 

 length, about equaling the style, the anthers large, oval. Ovary 

 densely pilose, gradually contracted into the long stout stipe, the 

 subulate pilose style about half as long, the stigma cupulate. 



On the road from Rurrenabaque to Reyes, 0. E. White, and 

 H. H. Bvshij, October 22, 1921 {no. 1302). 



The specific name is in allusion to the dropping of water, re- 

 sembling rain, from numerous nests of caterpillars in the foi'ks 

 of the branches, an account of which has appeared in Tropical 

 Woods. The species is near L. holiriensis Pittier. 



