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THE BOTANY OF THE GUAYANA HIGHLAND— PART II 



247 



FIG. 3. Spikelets of Myriocladus Swallen; x 5 except / and h X 8. a, M. steyermarkii; 

 b, M. maguirei; c, Al. exsertus; d, M. cardonae; e, M. longiramosus; f, M. a/finis; g, M. 

 paruensis; h, Al. grandifolius; i, j, Al. paraquensis. (Drawings by LaVerne Helen Richard- 

 son except / and h.) 



suprema brevior, abnipte acuminatae, glabrae, marginibus crassi. albidis; 

 paniculae pyramidatae, usque ad 40 cm longae, basi 12 cm latae, ramis uiscen- 

 dentibus vel patentibus ramulis divergentibus in parte inferioribus, axe dense 

 pubescences vel pilosae; spiculae 3-4 florae, suprema reducta; rachilla pubes- 

 cens vel pilosa; gluma prima angusta, acuminata, 4-4.5 mm longa; gluma secunda 

 latior, acuminata, 6-8 mm longa; lemma sterile 5 mm longum, abrupte acuminatum; 

 lemma fertile primum 5.5 mm longum, obtusum vel subobtusum, glabrum vel ad 

 marginem sparse pilosum, summo carina crassa, interdum mucronatum; palea 

 lemma aequans vel superans. 



"Fertile canes 0.3-1 m (high); sterile canes to 8 m." Sheaths 4-5 cm long, 

 crowded, glabrous, with a short, thick, glabrous or very minutely ciliate rim at 

 the summit, somewhat auriculate, the auricles bearing crowded curly bristles; 

 blades of the sterile culms as much as 30 cm long, 10.5 cm wide at the base, 

 truncate or subcordate; blades of the flowering culms 9-16 cm long, 4-6 cm wide, 

 or the uppermost of the branches smaller, rather abruptly acuminate, glabrous, 

 with rather prominent thick whitish margins, the cross-veins plainly visible on 

 the lower surface; inflorescence pyramidal, as much as 40 cm long, 12 cm wide 

 at the base, the branches stiffly ascending or spreading, bearing short divergent 

 branchlets in the lower half, the axis, branches, and pedicels rather densely 

 pubescent or pilose; spikelets 3-4- flowered, the upper floret reduced or rudi- 

 mentary, the rachilla-joints pubescent or pilose at least toward the summit; first 

 glume narrow, acuminate, 4-4.5 mm long; second glume broader, acuminate, 6-8 

 mm long; sterile lemma 5 mm long, abruptly acuminate; lowest fertile lemma 5.5 



