300 



MEMOIRS OF THE XEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



The affinity of the genus is obviously with Pavonia, but its 

 peltate l)racts, peculiarly separated thecae, and unappendaged 

 carpels effectually exclude it from that genus. 



Peltobractea nigrobracteata 



Lightly scabrous, the inflorescence pilose. Stems slender, 

 terete. Stipules 5 or 6 mm. long, subulate, attenuate. Leaves 

 subsessile, 2.5 to 5 cm. long, 7 to 15 mm. wide, lanceolate, vdth 

 rounded, sometimes subcordate base and acuminate acute sum- 

 mit, serrate-dentate, pale-green, thick and rigid, 3-nerved, the 

 nerves imjiressed above, very strong and prominent beneath, 

 like the loosely reticulate venation. Flowers solitary or few, in 

 the upper axils, very shortly jjedicelled. Bracts of the involucre 

 10, stipitate, peltately attached to the stipe at about a third of 

 their length. Stipes lightly connate at the base, half the length of 

 the calyx, terete, whitish, pilose. Limb more than half the length 

 of the stipe, lanceolate, with rounded base and acute summit, 

 thick and rigid, concave beneath, pilose, purijle-black in the dried 

 state (in the fresh state!). Sepals about 1 cm. long, 7 mm. 

 broad, ovate, acuminate and acute, whitish, with 5 strong green 

 ribs, connate for nearly half their length. Petals 1.5 cm. long, 1 

 cm. broad, obovate with rounded summit, pink. Styles shorter 

 than the petals, the branches 2 mm. long, the stigmas discoid. 

 Stamens not numerous. Capsules about 8 mm. broad, 4 mm. 

 high, lightly 5-lobed, depressed in the center, light-brown, 

 sparsely rough-hairy. 



On the pampas at Eosaria, near Lake Rogagua, 1,000 feet, 

 M. Cardenas, November 4, 1921 (no. 1654). Also at Ixiamas, 

 1,000 to 1,500 feet, 0. E. White, December 15, 1921 {no. 1123). 

 Dr. '\Aniite says "An herb, 2 to 3 feet high, with salmon-pink 

 flowers, growing in sunshine, in damp clay-loam." 



Hibiscus rectiflorus 



Gray-tomentellate throughout. Stems tall, stout, little 

 branched or simple, more or less sulcate or angular, the flowers 

 solitary in the axil. Stipules 5 or 6 mm. long, lance-linear, at- 

 tenuate and acute. Petioles 1 to 2 cm. long, stout, shallowly 

 grooved above. Blades 6 to 10 cm. long, 2 to 3 cm. broad, oval or 

 oblong, with rounded base and acute summit, entire, thick and 

 rigid, light-green above, gray beneath, w^here the venation is 

 strongly prominent and closely and strongly anastomosing, the 

 secondaries about 8 or 10 on each side, strongly ascending. 



