1957] 



THE BOTANY OF THE GUAYANA HIGHLAND — PART II 



239 



Rachilla-joints conspicuously pilose; glumes attenuate, the tips 



awn-like, glabrous or scabrous. 15* M. paludicolus. 



Rachilla-joints glabrous; glumes not awnlike, the tip hispidulous. 

 Panicle-branches stiffly and narrowly ascending, the lower ones 

 distinctly longer. 

 Flowering culms 1-1.5 rn high; panicle-axis and branches 



glabrous. 16. M. confertus. 



Flowering culms about 5 m high; panicle-axis 'and branches 

 densely pubescent; spikelets with 1-4 fertile florets. 



17. M. distantiflorus. 

 Panicle-branches stiffly spreading, of nearly equal length. 



Spikelets with 2 or 3 fertile florets, purple; first fertile lemma 

 5 mm long; palea about as long as the lemma, the keels 

 glabrous. 18. M. picrpureus. 



Spikelets with 1 or 2 fertile florets; first fertile lemma 4-4.5 

 mm long; palea longer than the le mma, the keels sparsely 

 ciliate. 19* M. wurdackii. 



3. Myriocladus virgtus Swallen, Fieldiana 28(1): 34. 1950. 



VENEZUELA: Savanna Hills, Cerro Duida, Terr. Amazonas, Julian A. Steyer- 

 mark 58293 (TYPE). Common in thickets and savanna along left fork of Cano 

 Yutaje, alt. 1300-1400 m, Cerro Yutaje, Rfo iManapiare, Bassett Maguire & Celia 

 K. Maguire 35271. Moist wooded swale, Summit Camp to East Escarpment, alt. 

 1800 m, Cerro Huachamarcari, Rio Cunucunuma, Bassett Maguire, R. S. Cowan, & 

 John J. Wurdack 30265. 



4. Myriocladus maguirei Swallen, sp. nov. Figure 3b. 



Culmi fertiles summo ramis 3, elongatis; vaginae pubescentes, summo mar- 

 ginibus fimbriatae, suprema 15.5 cm longa lamina reducta, ligula exteriore bre- 

 vissima,' minute ciliata; laminae anguste lanceolatae, attenuatae, appressae, 

 usque ad 25 cm longae, ca. 1 cm latae, glabrae; paniculae longi-exsertae, 30-34 

 cm longae, ca. 2 cm latae, ramis brevibus numerosis adscendentibus vel paten- 

 tibus, inferioribus distantibus, ad summum condensatis, axe et ramis pubescens; 

 spiculae 4-florae, suprema reducta; glumae quam floribus longiores, subaequales, 

 attenuatae, usque ad 7 mm longae; lemma sterile obtusum, 2-3 mm longum, aris- 

 tatum, arista 0.5-2 mm longa; lemma fertile primum 3-3.5 mm longum, acutum, 

 marginibus hispido-ciliatum; palea lemma aequans vel superans, summo sparse 

 pilosa vel hispida. 



Type specimen consists of the top of a flowering culm with three approximate 

 elongate branches:; exposed part of sheaths 2.5*3 cm long, the upper ones longer, 

 the uppermost of the main branch 15.5 cm long with a very much reduced blade, 

 pubescent, with a very short minutely ciliate rim at the summit, the margins fim- 

 briate toward the summit; ligule about 1 mm long, very minutely ciliate; blades as 

 much as 25 cm long, very narrowly lanceolate, attenuate, about 1 cm wide at the 

 widest part, only slightly narrower than the mouth of the sheath, appressed, very 

 scabrous on the margins, otherwise glabrous; inflorescence long-exserted, 30-34 

 cm long, about 2 cm wide, the numerous short branches stiffly ascending or 

 spreading, the lower ones somewhat distant, becoming crowded upward, the main 

 axis and branches pubescent; spikelets 4-f lowered, the upper floret rudimentary, 

 the rachilla-joints very short, the glumes usually exceeding the florets*, glumes 

 narrow to rather broad, tapering into awns, equal, or the second longer, as much 

 as 7 mm long; sterile lemma obtuse, 2-3 mm long, the strong midnerve excurrent 

 in an awn 0.5-2.0 mm long; fertile lemma 3~3.5 mm long, acute, the midnerve 

 thickened at the summit, the margins hispid -ciliate, especially near the tip; palea 

 as long as the lemma or slightly longer, sparsely pilose or hispid at the tip, 

 otherwise glabrous. 



