1957] 



THE BOTANY OF THE GUAYANA HIGHLAND— PART II 



355 



maxima adscendente dolabriforme, acuta, 20-25 mm alta, duobus ceteris margini- 

 formibus vel semiorbicularibus; seminibus ellipsoideis, reticulatis. 



TYPE: Herb 1.5-2.5 m high, leaves red-veined beneath, fruit brown; oc- 

 casional in high montane forest, 2-8 km [from] Camp No. 3 at 800 m alt., Cerro 

 de la Neblina, Rio Yatua, Amazonas, Venezuela, December 24, 1953, B. Maguire, 

 J. J. Wurdack & G. S. Bunting 36859. 



We describe this species with some misgiving because of the complete lack 

 of pistillate tepals. On the other hand, the inflorescence has alternating long and 

 short branching which simulates a geniculate central axis and immediately dis- 

 tinguishes this species from almost all others in South America. 



L YTH RACEAE 15 



The following three new species and Cuphea cataractarum Koehne belong to the 

 section Euandra subsection Hyssopocuphea of Koehne's system of this genus. 

 The species can be distinguished in the following key. 



Stems and branches with malpighiaceous hairs only. 



Small plants, ± 10 cm in height. Stems slender, branched from the base. C. rhodocalyx. 



Plants up to 50 cm in height. Stems erect. Inflorescences long with reduced 



leaves. C. pleiantba 



Stems and branches with malpighiaceous hairs and other hairs intermixed. 



Leaves distichous or subdistichous. C. distichopbylla. 



Leaves decussate. C. cataractarum. 



FIG. 66. Cuphea rbodacalyx Lourt. A, calyx, X 7; B, the same opened and petals, X 7; 

 C, pistil with the disk, X 7; D, disk, X 10; E, leaf, X 2.5. All from Bassett Maguire & 

 Bassett Maguire Jr. 29201. 



1. Cuphea rhodocalyx Lourt., sp. nov. (Fig. 66.) 



Herbacea, parva (ad 9 cm alta). Rhizoma breve, radicibus tenuibus, fibrosis, 

 confertim ramosis. Caules tenues e basi ramosi, procumbentes. Planta tota cum 

 aliquantula pubescentia adoressa, canoso-malpighiacea vestita, glabrescens. 

 Internodia quam folia breviora (2-3 mm). Folia decussata, cauli propter folia sub- 

 sessilia decurrentia aspecta 4-alato. Lamina lineari-lanceolata (5-13 x 1-2 mm), 

 acuta; nexvo centrali in utraque pagina conspicuo, margine deorsum replicato. 

 Flores alternati in summo ramorum apice, inter folia. Pedunculi ad 0.5 mm apicem 

 versus duobus bracteolis muniti. Bracteolae magnae, crassae, oblongae aut 

 ovatae, acutae 0.5 mm, plus minusve, longae. 



Calyx roseo-lilacinus (2.5 mm longus), in fructu ampullaceus, in fauce dila- 

 tatus, calcari obtuso vix conspicuo, appendicibus crassis quam lobuli calycini 



15 By Alicia Lourteig. 



