1957] 



THE BOTANY OF THE GUAYANA HIGHLAND— PART II 



321 



species; unfortunately, the type specimen of the typical subspecies represents 

 a slight aberration of the typical woodland form. Our field notes would indicate 

 a difference in flower color between the extreme forms, the savanna subspecies 

 having tepals basically white with orange stripes and the extreme woodland 

 collections having solid orange tepals. 



S. flavescens Maury (5. congesta Maury) was described and figured as having 

 four staminodia and one anthered stamen. Unfortunately the type of this species 

 could not be located at Paris. It may well be the same as S. orinocensis subsp. 

 savannarum. 



The flower structure of S. orinocensis needs clarification. Two of the outer 

 tepals are united unilaterally to two of the inner adaxial tepals by flanges extend- 

 ing down the floral axis. In all collections examined, the outer whorl of stamens 

 is represented by two linear staminodia; the inner whorl has one large (abaxial) 

 stamen and two smaller-anthered (adaxial) stamens. In no case were fertile 

 stamens observed in the outer whorl, although Pax (in E. & P. Nat. Pflanzenf. 

 ed. 2. 15a: 390. 1930) implied occasional outer fertile stamens. The anthers of 

 smaller inner stamens are somewhat caducous. 



PIPERACEAE 8 



Piper fanshawei Yuncker, sp. nov. 



Suffrutex glaber; foliis oblongo-ellipticis, apice acuminatis, basi inaequila- 

 teraliter acutis, fere totis vel quartum superum pinnatim venosis, nerviis utrinque 



5 vel 6 sub margine laqueatis, petiolo a medio deorsum vaginato; bracteis lunato- 

 truncatis dorso fimbriatis, drupa obovoidea apice puberula, stigmatibus parvis 

 sessilibus. 



Small, glabrous, nodose subshrub, 2 m tall, the upper internodes slender, 2-4 

 cm long. Leaves oblong-elliptic, acuminate, the base inequilateral, acute, one 

 side about 2 mm shorter at the petiole, 3-4.5 cm wide and 10-14 cm long, pin- 

 nately nerved to the upper one-fourth or throughout, the nerves about 5 or 6 on 

 each side, submarginally loop-connected, drying rather thin, translucent, very 

 narrowly revolute, finely pellucid dotted, the petiole about 1 cm long, or occasion- 

 ally to 2 cm, vaginate-winged below the middle. Spikes 4 mm thick and 2 cm long, 

 apiculate, the peduncle 10-15 mm long, the bracts lunate-truncate, dorsally 

 fringed, the fruits crowded, obovoid, velvety at the truncate-depressed apex, the 

 stigmas small, sessile. 



TYPE: BRITISH GUIANA: Pakaraima Mountains, Membaru-Kurupung Trail, 

 occasional in Cunuria forest, alt. 1000 m, Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 1951, Bassett Maguire 



6 D. B. Fanshawe 32356 (NY). 



The glabrous twigs and leaves, type of venation, and especially the strongly 

 velvety fruits distinguish this species. In leaf shape and size, this species 

 bears some resemblance to P. suratanum Trel. & Yun. of Colombia but it differs 

 strongly in its velvety rather than glabrous fruits and with the petioles scarcely 

 vaginate to the middle. It resembles P. riitosense Trel. & Yun. from Aragua, 

 Venezuela, in the size of the spikes. That species, however, has obpyramidal- 

 trigonous glabrous fruits and longer leaves with 8-10 branches from each side of 

 the midrib. 



Piper striatifolium Yuncker, sp. nov. 



Frutex [?], internodiis superis perconferte luteo-villosis; foliis anguste 

 oblongo-ellipticis, apice attenuatis longe acuminatis, basim versus angustatis 



"By T. G. Yuncker. 



