1955] 



PLANTS COLLECTED IN ECUADOR 



155 



The collector notes the plants as trees 10 or rarely 15 m tall with leaves 

 deep green and having velvety sheen above and very pale beneath. 



This specimen agrees very well with those previously known from the eastern 

 cordillera of Colombia. The leaf apex is blunt, the peduncle up to 6 or 7 cm 

 long, and the bracts are more triangular-subpeltate and more densely hairy. The 

 branched pubescence on the lower leaf surface is a distinctive feature of 

 this species. 



Piper begoniiforme Yuncker, sp. nov. 



Frutex; foliis ellipticis, apice sensim acutis, basi inaequilateraliter lobatis, 

 sinu obliquo, supra glabris, subtus brunneo-villosis, a parte infera pinnatim 

 venosis; petiolo ad laminam vaginato-alato; drupa obovoidea, glabrata; stig- 

 matibus sessilibus. 



Shrub, up to 5 m tall; stems strict; upper internodes moderate, 5-8 cm long, 

 with scattered lenticels, sparsely villous glabrescent; leaves elliptic, the apex 

 gradually acute, the base inequilateral, auriculately lobed, the sinus oblique, 

 the larger lobe about 6-8 cm long, curved, covering the petiole, the smaller lobe 

 about 5-10 mm shorter at the petiole, 12-20 cm wide x 22-28 cm long to the 

 petiole, glabrous above, brown-villous beneath, the nerves densely so, pinnately 

 nerved from the lower half, the nerves 5 on each side plus one or two shorter 

 descending nerves in the larger lobe, with cross-connecting-anastomosing 

 nervules, submarginally loop-connected, drying firm, opaque; petiole 4-7 cm 

 long, glabrous, vaginate-winged to the blade; spikes 6-8 mm thick x 30 cm long 

 when mature, pendent; peduncle 2.5 cm long, glabrous; bracts triangular-sub- 

 peltate with lateral wings which embrace the fruit, the pedicel crisp brown- 

 pilose; fruit obovoid, glabrous; stigmas small, sessile. 



CHIMBORAZO: canon of the Rio Chanchan, about 5 km north of Huigra, moist forested 

 valleys in the afternoon fog-belt, 1500-1950 m, May 19-28, 1945, E-3301 (TYPE). 



This species resembles P. pendentispicum to some extent but differs in the 

 simple hairs of the indument, fewer nerves, etc. It also superficially resembles 

 P. arbelaezii from which it differs, however, in its glabrescent stems, fewer 

 nerves, etc. 



Piper verbascifolium (Miq.) CDC. in DC. Prodr. 16(1): 258. 1869. 



LOJA: along Rio Masanaco, about 40 km south of Loja, 1920 m, July 9-12, 1944, 

 J or gens en & Prieto JP59. 



Piper huigranum Trel. & Yun. Pip. North. S. Am. 188. /. 147. 1950. 



CHIMBORAZO: canon of the Rio Chanchan, about 5 km north of Huigra (moist forested 

 valleys in the afternoon fog-belt), 1500-1950 m, May 19-28, 1945, E-3291, E-3359. 



Piper supermini Trel. & Yun. Pip. North. S. Am. 192. /. 151. 1950. 



Junction of GUAYAS, CAflAR, CHIMBORAZO & BOLIVAR: foothills of the western 

 cordillera near the village of Bucay, 300-375 m, June 8-15, 1945, E-3800. 



SANTIAGO-ZAMORA ("Oriente"): from Mendez to crossing of Rio Paute, 570-630 m, 

 Dec 14, 1944, E-1505. The leaves on this specimen are not so rugose as those on 

 the type. 



Piper lanceaefolium H.B.K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 1: 49. 1815. 



AZUAY: the eastern cordillera, 1-8 km north of the village of Sevilla de Oro, 2400- 

 2700 m, July 27-Aug 12, 1945, E-4494. 



PICHINCHA: western slope of the cordillera, along the road from Quito to Sta. 

 Domingo de los Colorados, 2100-2550 m, Jan 15, 1945, E-f 725. 



Piper lanceaefolium var. latifolium Sodiro, Contr. Conoc. Fl. Ecuator. Monogr. 1. 

 ed. 2. 47 [1901]. 



CHIMBORAZO: canon of the Rio Chanchan near Huigra (mostly scrub-chaparral, with 

 a few seepages and small swamps along the river), 1200-1350 m, May 7-14, 1945, E-3210. 



