MULFORD EXPLOPiATION OF THE AMAZON VALLEY 



295 



the outer portions strongly falcate, connected by a number of 

 crooked, slender tertiaries, the venation strongly and finely anas- 

 tomosing, lightly prominent on both surfaces. Flowers race- 

 mose, the racemes solitary or variously clustered, mostly longer 

 than the petioles, only the terminal portion usually floriferous, 

 the peduncle and rachis stout, coarsely angled or sulcate. Bracts 

 5 to 7 mm. long, boat-shaped, keeled, acute, coriaceous. Pedicels 

 mostly about twice the length of the bracts, stout, many-costate. 

 Sepals about 8 mm. long and half as broad, very thick, especially 

 at the base, tomentose on both surfaces, lanceolate, obtusish, the 

 petals similar. Stamens very numerous, densely massed, the 

 thick fleshy filament about as long as the thecae, the anther nar- 

 rowed toward the base, about 7 mm. long, the acuminate, acute, 

 rigid appendage about a third of its length, the anther about 1 

 mm. wide, or less, gray-puberulent, the appendage yellow, sub- 

 giabrous. Ovary short-ovoid, 4 or 5 mm. wide, densely short- 

 scaly, the style tomentose, stout, tapering, a little longer than 

 the stamens. Fruit depressed-globose, reaching to 2 dm. in 

 breadth, densely long-spinose. Seeds 2 or 3 cm. in width, irregu- 

 larly ovoid, light-scarlet. 



On the shore of the Bopi Eiver, 3,000 feet, H. H. Rushy, Sep- 

 tember 8, 1921 {no. 742). Local name "Cabeza del Negro" 

 (Negro-head). A large forest tree, flowering while still bearing- 

 some fruits of the preceding crop. Its flowers are abundant, 

 and a beautiful combination of pink and yellow, and very fra- 

 grant. In many places, the forest floor is covered with the chest- 

 nut-like seeds, or with their remains, dropped by parrots and 

 other birds which feed eagerly upon them. There were indica- 

 tions that terrestrial animals devour those which fall. 



TiLIACEAE 



Corchorus aquaticus 



Gray-puberulent, especially above, the hairs of the stem very 

 short, many of them retrorse. Stems to 4 dm. high, mostly sim- 

 ple, slender, mostly angled or sulcate, herbaceous. Stipules seta- 

 ceous, 2 or 3 mm. long. Leaves very heteromorphous, very small 

 or rudimentary at the base, where they are ovate or oval, becom- 

 ing longer and narrower upward, the uppermost often 5 cm. 

 long and only 3 to 5 mm. wide, all except the lower inclined 

 to be erect or ascending. Blades thin, pale-green, the slender 

 petioles about a sixth of the length; acuminate at both ends, 



