BOTANY OF THE GUAYANA HIGHLAND 



121 



Decagonocarpus oppositifolius Spruce ex Engler. 



Frequent, small tree to 8 m., flowers fleshy, red, Middle Camp, Cerro Sipapo, 

 November 25, 1948, Maguire & Politi 27442; shrub or small tree to 5 m., flowers 

 fleshy, scarlet, opening along creek. Base Camp, Cerro Sipapo, November 27, 

 1948, Maguire & Politi 27473; shrub, red flowers, North Mountain, Cerro Sipapo, 

 January 25, 1948, Maguire & Politi 28604; large shrub or small tree, flowers 

 fleshy, orange-red, fruit green when mature, seed black, mixed forest, Intermediate 

 Camp, Cerro Sipapo, February 2, 1949, Maguire & Politi 28706; shrub or shrubby 

 tree to 4 m., bark white, flowers red-orange, waxy, corolla 5-parted, tube carinate, 

 locally frequent on granitic monadnock (Acejerut) 20 miles above Playa Alta, 

 Rio Cunucunuma, December 28, 1950, Maguire, Cowan & Wurdack 30441, 30457. 



The number of specimens cited here would indicate that this plant is not un- 

 common in southwestern Venezuela; however, there is no evidence in our her- 

 barium or in the literature that it has been recollected since Spruce's original 

 collection. It is of particular interest that all the collections cited were made 

 from plants growing on a granitic substratum. Indeed, Spruce mentions it in his 

 notes as a component of the vegetation of the granitic domes so characteristic of 

 this Upper Orinoco country. 



The flowers are especially striking because of the waxy-fleshy consistency of 

 the angular corolla; the lobes apparently never open widely but remain nearly 

 closed even in their fully expanded condition. The leaves are also somewhat 

 fleshy in texture and are borne decussately on the somewhat quadrangular stem. 



Galipea stelligera Cowan, sp. nov. 



Arbustum 3-4 m. altum, ubique dendroideo-stelligerum; folia trifoliata, petio- 

 lis communibus sulcatis, 1.5-4 cm. longis, foliola elliptica, supra fusco-viridia, 

 supra venas alutaceo-stelligera, infra albo-viridia, ubique densissime alutaceo- 

 stelligera, apicibus basibusque acutis, foliola terminalia 4-7 x 1.5-2.5 cm., 

 petiolulo 6-10 mm. longo, sulcato, foliola lateralia 3-7 x 1-2.5 cm., petiolulo 

 2-5 mm. longo, sulcato, ad basim inaequalia; inflorescentiae axillares vel ter- 

 minales, cymosae, pedunculo 4-5 cm. longo, ramulos duos 5-20 mm. longos gig- 

 nenti, bracteis linearibus, ca. 3 mm. longis, bracteolis linearibus, ca. 1.5 mm. 

 longis, pedicello 0.5-1.5 mm. longo, vel floribus sessilibus; calyx quinqueloba- 

 tus, lobis subaequalibus, oblongo-ovalibus, obtusis, 2.5-2.8 x 1.3-2 mm.,erectis, 

 tubo ca. 0.7 mm. longo, corolla aurantio-rubra, tubulata, lobis 5, acutis, quatuor 

 2.5 x 1.5-2.5 mm. triangularibus, quinto triangulari-lanceolato, 2o5 x 3.5 mm., 

 tubo cylindrico-infundibuliformi, 19.5-20.5 mm. longo, ca 6 mm. diametro; sta- 

 mina 5> solum 2 fertilibus, in tubum corallae tubo adnatum conjugantia, staminum 

 fertilium antherae oblongae, apiculatae, lateraliter cohaerentes, 2.5 x 0.7 mm., ad 

 basim appendicibus flabelliformibus, ca. 1.5 x 1.2 mm. ornatae, filamentis ligu- 

 latis, 19.5-20 mm. x 1-1.5 mm., staminodia ligulata, 20 mm. longa et ca. 1 mm. 

 lata, ad apicem subulata; discus cupuliformis, obscure quinquelobatus, margine 

 quinqueundulata, ca. 0.8 mm. altus; stigma oblique quinquelobatum, lobis verru- 

 cosis, stylus 19 mm. longus, glaber, ovarium densissime hispidulum, 1 x 1.5 mm., 

 quinquelobatum, carpellis ovula dua gignentibus; mericarpia immaturissima, uni- 

 seminalia. 



TYPE: occasional, shrub 3 m., flowers orange-red, mossy forest on ridge 

 west of Caho Culebra, summit of Cerro Duida, Territorio Amazonas, November 22, 

 1950, Bassett Maguire, Richard S. Cowan & John J. Wurdack 29653 -A; New York 

 Botanical Garden. Paratype: shrub to 4 m., corolla orange-red, slightly angled, 2 

 fertile stamens coherent, cloud forest at 5000*, Culebra Creek Drainage, summit 

 of Cerro Duida, November 19, 1950, Maguire, Cowan & Wurdack 2955 h 



