1952] 



PLANTS COLLECTED IN ECUADOR 



55 



variety, characterized by having its leaf-blades ovate and broadest toward the 

 base, hardly seems worthy of separation from the typical variety; however, our 

 specimens agree well with those from Ecuador cited by Sleumer. 



Vaccinium floribundum var. ramosissimum (Dun.) Sleumer, Notizbl. Bot. Gart. 

 Berlin 13: 131. 1936. 



Carchi: Paramo del Angel, about 24 km. southwest of Tulcan, 11,500 ft. elev., 

 Camp E-286, E-290 (NY only). Loja: Cerro Villanaco, about 7 km. west of Loja, 

 8,000-9,500 ft. elev., Camp E-210 (NY only). 



The specimens are from low shrubs, up to 0.3 m. high, the older ones arising 

 from a characteristic burl; corolla pink; fruit dark blue, subglaucous. The variety 

 ramosissimum, characterized by its very small leaves, is perhaps somewhat stronger 

 than var. marginatum, but still it appears to be merely an extreme form of the 

 species from exposed locations. 



Vaccinium crenatum (Don) Sleumer, Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 12: 291. 1935. 



Azuay: Paramo de Tinajillas and surrounding chaparral and forests, 30-50 km. 

 south of Cuenca, Camp E-2284. "Oriente" Border, Paramo del Castillo and sur- 

 rounding forested areas (crest of the eastern cordillera on the trail between Sevilla 

 de Oro and Mendez), Camp E-1643, E-4819. Ridge between El Pan and Guachapala, 

 Camp E'5245. Loja: Cerro Villanaco, about 7 km. west of Loja, Camp E-165, 

 E-260 (NY only). Nudo de Cajanuma, south of Loja, Camp E-562 (NY only). Santiago- 

 Zamora: East of El Pan at about Azuay line, near "Laguna," F. Prieto P-62. 



The cited specimens were obtained at elevations of 7,500 to 11,500 ft.; the 

 plants are usually prostrate and trailing (rarely erect to 1 m. high) on banks, open 

 slopes, and bare eroding areas, often rooting along the stem; leaves often reddish 

 when young, later deep green and shining above, with nerves reddish beneath; 

 corolla pink to bright red or crimson; fruit nigrescent-blue or purple-black, shining. 



Venezuela to Peru; our material agrees well with the Ecuadorian specimens 

 cited by Sleumer in Notizbl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 13: 133 (1936). 



Semiramisia speciosa (Benth.) Kl. Linnaea 24: 25. 1851. 



Loja: "Oriente" Border, crest of the Cordillera de Zamora, east of Loja, ca. 

 10,000 ft. elev,, Camp E-107 (scrambling shrub, growing to 5 m. high, with stems 

 up to 2.5-3 cm. diam.; corolla cylindric, not apically fluted, bright red, the base 

 near calyx yellowish green; calyx green, conspicuously fluted). 



The cited collection comes from near the type locality; I have recently (Contr. 

 U. S. Nat. He r b. 29: 359. 1950) cited other Ecuadorian collections of the species. 



Semiramisia weberbaueri Hoer. Bot. Jahrb. 42: 310. 1909. 



Azuay: "Oriente" Border, Paramo del Castillo and surrounding forested area 

 (crest of the eastern cordillera on the trail between Sevilla de Oro and Mendez), 

 9,000-11,000 ft. elev., Camp E-735 (shrub to 2 m., on ground; corolla basally 

 green, apically bright red). Santiago- Zamora: Eastern slope of the cordillera, 

 valley of the Ri'os Negro and Chupianza (on the trail from Sevilla de Oro to Mendez), 

 6,500-7,500 ft. elev., Camp E-756 (shrub 4 m.; corolla basally green, apically 

 crimson). 



The differences between this species and the preceding are perhaps not very 

 significant; 5. weberbaueri has comparatively narrow leaves which are acute to 

 obtuse at base. The difference in the calyx-tube-whether smooth or angled-which 

 I utilized in Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 28: 348-349 (1932), appears on the basis of 

 more ample material to be of little consequence, the angles tending to disappear 

 with maturity. The type of S. weberbaueri was from the Department of Amazonas, 

 Peru, but other collections from Ecuador have been mentioned by me (op. cit. 350). 



