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MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN [Vol. 8, No. 4 



for the validity of the Kew holotypes is the citation by Triana of such collectors 

 as Pearce, McLean, Purdie, and Seemann, whose specimens were not widely dis- 

 tributed. Furthermore it is extremely improbable that a mixed collection on a sin- 

 gle herbarium sheet corresponding so closely to Triana's description of B. radula 

 (which covered the additional element B. intermedium Wurdack) would occur more 

 than once. 



In typification, it was also necessary to select lectotypes for the species 

 based on Weberbauer collections destroyed at Berlin during the last war (Sleumer 

 1949). Cogniaux apparently kept a branchlet from each Weberbauer specimen upon 

 which he based his new species. These rather fragmentary specimens from the 

 Cogniaux herbarium (BR) were the only specimens seen that Cogniaux had anno- 

 tated, and were therefore designated as the lectotypes (although by some they 

 might also be regarded as the holotypes). However, better specimens (but not an- 

 notated by Cogniaux) of most of these collections were seen elsewhere (G-DEL). 

 Cogniaux apparently saw all specimens of each number for the species described 

 by him from Andre's collections. In such cases the Kew specimen has been re- 

 garded as the holotype, since the original Andre herbarium is housed there (Kew 

 Bull. 1913: 59). In the citation of type photographs and place of deposition of 

 probably extant holotypes, the word "presumably" has been employed to indicate 

 all specimens not actually seen during this study. 



The publication date of the first livraison (pp. 1-40, pi. 1-15) of Bonpland's 

 Rhexies has not been definitely established other than 1808 or earlier, probably 

 between 1806 and 1808 (Sherborn & Woodward 1901). In the Rhexia species in- 

 volved in the current study, this date has been cited as 1806-1808. 



ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE 



The species of Brachyotum are of little economic significance. Poles of the 

 wood of B Aedijolium (Steyermark 52348) are used for fences in Ecuador. Bonpland 

 (1806-1808) reported that a decoction from Rhexia canescens (B. ledifolium) was 

 used in Colombia for the treatment of urine retention and other disorders of the 

 urinary system. The leaves and young shoots of B. lindenii (Hartweg 1003 P»P») 

 were used by the Indians on Pichincha as a purge. B. naudinii (West 3662) has 

 been used as a remedy for diarrhea in Dept. Ayacucho, Peru. Ruiz and Pavon 

 (1802) recorded the use of an extract (rose? or yellow? "luteo") from both Rhexia 

 rosmarinifolia (B. rosmarinifolium) and R. quinquenervis (B. quinquenerve) in dye- 

 ing cloth. Jameson sent seeds of B. confertum from near Cuenca, Ecuador, to I. 

 A. Henry of Edinburgh, who grew and flowered the species in his greenhouse; the 

 illustrations in Curtis 's Botanical Magazine (1873, pi* 6018) and Flore des Serres 

 (1874^ pi. 2099) were drawn from these plants. No other record of the use of 

 Brachyotum in European floriculture has been found. However, Herrera (1941, p. 

 321) reported the use of B. quinquenerve as a garden ornamental in Dept. Cuzco, 

 Peru. 



GENERIC AND SPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS 



In keying a specimen of Brachyotum to genus in Cogniaux's treatment of the 

 Tibouchineae (1891), the isomorphic stamens and setose ovary apices bring one 

 at once to genera 24-31 of the conspectus. The campanulate corolla tube and pen- 

 dent flowers are usually sufficient to eliminate all of these genera except Brach- 

 yotum from consideration, but these characters are sometimes not obvious on poor 

 specimens. The "closed" nature of mature flowers of Brachyotum may be spotted 

 by the exserted style; even in well-developed buds of specimens of related genera, 

 the style is never exserted before the spreading of the petals. The smaller flowers 



