1953] 



REVISION OF BRACHYOTUM 



371 



versus glabrae, subtus modice strigulosae. Hypanthium 6-9x7-9 mm., medio 

 0.4-0.5 mm. crassum, densissime hirsutum vel laxo-strigosum, pilis 8-20/mm. 2 et 

 ad 2 mm. longis. Sepala 5~9 x 4.5*-6 mm. ovata vel oblongo-ovata apice late acuta 

 vel anguste obtusa et breviter apiculata base per 0.7-1 mm. cohaerentia, sinu 

 acuto. Petala 16-19 x 14-18 mm. obovata apice rotunda vel leviter obliquo-trun- 

 cata, ciliis 0.2-0.7 mm. (uno terminali 0.7-1.1 mm.) non-glandulosis. Filamenta 

 7-9 mm.; antherae 5.5*8 mm.: connectivum basi antherae non vel vix (per 0.1 mm.) 

 ab anthera liberum. Stylus 20-25 mm. longus, basi 1-1.4 mm. apice 0.5-0.7 mm. 

 diam., per 2-5 mm. exsertus. Ovarium 6-7.5 x 4-5 mm. apice per 3~4 mm. dense 

 strigulosum, lobis apicalibus super loculos 0.5-2 mm. 



Type Collection and Locality: Camp E-4118 (HOLOTYPE NY); Ecuador, Chim- 

 borazo-Canar border (western escarpment), near Pimo, alt. 10200-10400 ft., 9 Jul. 

 1945- "Tree 6 m. Lvs dark green, nitid under pubescence above; bright green be- 

 low. Stems, petioles, and veins below deep red. Calyx deep crimson. Corolla 

 •white, faintly tinged with yellow, of the tubular type which is pendant and does 

 not open fully." 



Distribution: central Ecuador, alt. 3000-3100 m. 



Pichincha: Pichincha near "Frutillas," Sodiro 469 (BR); Atacazo, Sodiro 473b (BR). 

 Bolivar: near Chunchi, Rimbacb 352 (MICH, S). 



Cogniaux had annotated the Sodiro collections, one as a new species and the 

 other as a variety of 8. ledifolium, but these names were never published. B. 

 gleasonii is closely related to and intermediate between B. racemosum and B. 

 ledifolium. From the latter, the cited collections may be distinguished by the much 

 less shaggy trichomes, larger leaves, longer hypanthial pubescence, usually 

 larger pedicellar bracts, generally larger flowers, and denser ovary pubescence. 

 Especially striking is the absence of the graduated short pseudo-stellate hairs so 

 characteristic of the lower leaf surface in B. ledifolium; these hairs, in B. glea- 

 sonii, are slender, rather flexuous, and inconspicuously roughened. 



14. Brachyotum ledifolium (Desr.) Triana, Trans. Linn. Soc. 28: 48. 1871. 



Melastoma ledifolia Desr. in Lam. Encyc. 4: 48. 1796. 

 Rhexia canescens Bonpl. Rhexies 14. 1806-1808. 



Chaetogastra canescens (Bonpl.) DC. Prodr. 3: 134. 1828. Non sensu Naudin, Ann. Sci. 



Nat. III. 14: 135. 1850. 

 Pleroma ledifolium (Desr.) DC. Prodr. 3: 151. 1828. 

 Alifana canescens (Bonpl.) Raf. Syl. Tell. 101. 1838. 



" FLasiandra ledifolia" (Bonpl.) Naudin, Ann. Sci. Nat. III. 13: 159. 1849. 

 Chaetogastra sulphurea Naudin, Ann. Sci. Nat. III. 14: 135. 1850. 

 Chaetogastra bonplandiana Naudin, Ann. Sci. Nat. III. 14: 137. 1850. 

 Brachyctum canescens (Bonpl.) Triana, Trans. Linn. Soc. 28: 48. 1871. 

 Brachyotum sulphureum Triana, Trans. Linn. Soc. 28: 166. 1871. (?) Nomen nudum. 



Trichomes notably shaggy-plumulose. Branchlets rounded-quadrangular, densely 

 to moderately and rather persistently loose-strigulose. Petiole (2-)4-7 mm. Blade 

 (9-)15-25(-40) x (5-)7-12(-15) mm., elliptic to ovate with the apex acute to ob- 

 tuse and the base obtuse to subtruncate, the 3 primaries narrowly impressed above 

 and elevated below, the 10-15 pairs of secondaries obscurely impressed above 

 and elevated below; above sparsely to densely short-strigulose to short-strigose, 

 the hairs 1-20/mm. 2 and %-% adherent with their bases not markedly expanded; 

 below densely to very densely hirsutulous, the hairs (10-)30-60/mm. J and of vary- 

 ing lengths with the very numerous shorter ones appearing almost stellate due to 

 much-contracted axes, giving a sparkling appearance to the surface (sub lente), 

 the glands solitary and 20-30/mm. 2 but obscured by the hairs. Flowers 5-merous 

 (very rarely a few 4-merous), mostly solitary on short bi-bracteolate pedicels in 

 opposite upper leaf axils, rarely the terminal ones ternate with the peduncle not 



