322 



MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



[Vol. 9, No. 3 



obtusis subcordulatisve a lamina media pinnatim venosis, nerviis utrinque 3 vel 

 4 subtus proeminentibus supra valde sulcatis, supra glabris subtus villosis, 

 petiolo brevi conferte villoso ad basim vaginato; drupa truncato-obovoidea subte- 

 tragona glabra, stigmatibus sessilibus. 



Shrub [?]; twigs slender, nodose, the upper internodes 1-2 cm long, very 

 densely yellow-villous, the hairs up to 1mm or more long. Leaves narrowly 

 oblong-elliptic or lance-oblong, with attenuately long-acuminate apex, the acumen 

 10-15 mm long, narrowing to the rounded, obtuse, or slightly cordulate base, one 

 side 1-2 mm longer at the petiole, 2.5-3.5 cm wide ana 14-16 cm long, pinnately 

 nerved from the lower half, the nerves 3 or 4 on each side, strongly salient 

 beneath and deeply impressed above, nearly straight and sub-parallel, with 

 slender cross-connecting nervules, glabrous above, villous beneath, the nerves 

 rather densely so, drying firm, opaque, revolute, the petiole scarcely 5 mm long, 

 densely villous, vaginate at the base. Spikes 3 mm thick and 5-6 cm long, the 

 peduncle about 1 cm long, villous, the bracts rounded-subpeltate, fringed, the 

 drupe truncate-obovoid, subtetragonous, glabrous, glandular, the stigmas sessile. 



TYPE: BRAZIL: Upper Rio Negro River, Weiss & Schmidt in 1907-08 (NY). 



The densely villous stems, narrow leaves with impressed-salient nervation 

 and comparatively short, stout spikes characterize this species. The impressed- 

 salient nerves somewhat resemble those of P. lineatum R. & P. of Peru and 

 Ecuador, but this species differs in the size and shape of its non-scabrid leaves 

 and the character of the indument. In the shape of the leaves and the type of 

 venation it resembles P. jaboncillanum Trel. & Yun. of Colombia. It differs, 

 however, in its pubescence, fewer nerves, and shorter, straight spikes. 



Piper politi Yuncker, sp. nov. 



Frutex diffusus vel scandens, internodiis superis glabris vel juvenilibus 

 plus minusve hispidis; foliis lanceolato-ovatis ad late ovata, apice acuminatis, 

 basi rotundatis obtusis cordulatis vel cordatis, fere totis vel tertium superum 

 pinnatim venosis nerviis utrinque 3-5 sub margine laqueatis, supra glabris sub- 

 tus glabris vel ad venas plus minusve hispidis; petiolo ad basim vaginato; spicis 

 adhuc immaturis, bracteis rotundato-subpeltatis margine conferte luteo-firabriatis. 



A nodose, trailing or scandent shrub, climbing to 15 m or more, the upper 

 internodes comparatively short, glabrous to moderately or strongly hispid in 

 young growth. Leaves lance-ovate to broadly ovate, the apex acuminate, the 

 base equilateral or one side about 1 mm shorter at the petiole, rounded, obtuse, 

 cordulate, or cordate, 2.5-4.5 cm wide and 5.5-8 cm long, pinnately nerved to the 

 uppfcr third or nearly throughout, the midrib prominent beneath, the lateral nerves 

 3-5 on each side, rather slender, submarginally loop-connected and with cross- 

 connecting-anastomosing nervules, glabrous and glossy above, glabrous to 

 sparingly or sometimes rather strongly hispid beneath along the nerves, drying 

 coriaceous, opaque, revolute, the petiole mostly 5-10 mm long, glabrous to 

 moderately hispid, vaginate at the base. Spikes as yet immature, as represented 

 about 2.5 cm long, the peduncle 5 mm long, the bracts round-subpeltate, densely 

 yellow-fringed. 



TYPE: VENEZUELA: Bolivar: Cerro Guaiquinima, Rio Paragua, locally fre- 

 quent in dense "moss" woodland in deep narrow quebrada,' "North" Valley, alt. 

 1600-1700 m, Jan. 4, 1952, Bassett Maguire 32968 (NY). 



VENEZUELA: Amazonas: Cerro Sipapo (Paraque), on mixed forest slopes above 

 lower escarpment above Cano Grande, alt. 1500 m, Jan. 21, 1949, Bassett Maguire & 

 Louis Politi 28316 (NY). Bolivar: Chimanta Massif, Torono-tepui, " climbing attached to 

 bluff base in sun, locally frequent, north-west-facing forested slopes between Summit 

 Camp and base of escarpment, alt. 1880-1970 m, Feb. 27, 1955, stem dull green; lvs. 



