1957] 



THE BOTANY OF THE GUAYANA HIGHLAND— PART II 



361 



Digomphia laurifolia Benth. 



I have by now seen 22 gatherings of this species, from British Guiana (Ro- 

 raima and Upper Mazaruni River districts) and Venezuela (tepui's and cerros in 

 Estado Bolivar and Territorio de Amazonas, often locally common), in habitats 

 varying from altitudes of 125 m (Cerro Yapacana, Terr. Amazonas, Venezuela) to 

 2500 m (summit of Carrao-tepui). There is a good deal of variation in the size and 

 shape of the leaves, sometimes even on the same gathering, in the development of 

 the inflorescence and its indumentum (the pedicels and calyx are usually gla- 

 brous, but may be more or less copiously sprinkled with gland-tipped trichomes), 

 and in the size of the calyx and corolla, but I see no reason for distinguishing 

 more than a single species in the material. This is a small shrub with simple 

 leaves and lavender-colored flowers, growing to a height of 15 ft, but usually 

 much smaller and often less than 3 ft high. For further notes on this species, and 

 a description of the capsule and seeds, see my contribution to Dr. Steyermark's 

 "Contributions." 



Distictella monophylla Sandwith, sp. nov. 



Ab omnibus speciebus adhuc cognitis habitu fruticoso haud scandente, foliis 

 simplicibus in forma typica subtus crasse reticulatis aerolis foveolatis pilosulo- 

 tomentellis statim distinguitur. 



Frutex ad 3 m altus, virgatus, haud scandens, pauciramosus; rami dense 

 subadpresse pubescentes vel tomentelli; internodia 0.8-3 cm longa. Folia simpli- 

 cia, elliptica, elliptico-oblonga, oblonga, vel elliptico-ovata, apice obtusa vel 

 rotundata, nonnunquam emarginata vel mucronata, basi rotundata vel obtusa, 

 nonnunquam plus minusve cordata, 3-9 cm longa, 1.8-5.7 cm lata, rigide crasse 

 coriacea marginibus revolutis, supra glabra (rarius costa minute pubescenti, 

 pagina sparse pubescenti) nitida punctato-lepidota necnon glandulis patelli- 

 formibus immersis prope costam praecipue basin versus praedita creberrime 

 rugosula vel rarius laevia costa nervis venulis planis conspicue reticulatis vel 

 nonnunquam obscuris ac impressis, subtus pilosulo-tomentella nervis venulisque 

 intricatissime reticulatis venulis insigniter crassis nonnunquam glabris aerolas 

 pilosulas velut foveas cingentibus, nervis primariis utroque costae latere vulgo 

 6-7 sursum arcuatis atque prope marginem anastomosantibus, nonnunquam (in 

 foliis basi cordatis) basi plus minusve quinquenervia vel septinervia; petiolus 

 3.5-10 mm longus, basi inferne tumido-incrassatus ac in ramum decurrens, 

 indumento ramorum praeditus. Inflorescentia apice ramulorum terminalis vel 

 axillaris, racemosa, brevis, ad 5 cm longa, satis pauciflora vel etiam uniflora, 

 passim indumento ramorum praedita; bracteae bracteolaeque deciduae, ad 1.5 mm 

 longae; pedicelli circiter 1 cm longi, nonnunquam sub fructu ad 1.5 cm elongati, 

 infra medium vel etiam prope basin bracteolati. Calyx more generis campanulatus, 

 apice integer, 4.5-10 mm longus, ad 10 mm latus, tomentellus, consociebus 

 glandularum praeditus. Corolla alba, campanulato-infundibuliformis, extra basi 

 cylindrica excepta tomentosa, saepe curvata, 3.5-7 cm longa, tubo apicem versus 

 ad 2.5 cm lato intus sub insertione staminum zona pilorum densissima praedito 

 praeterea supra zonam usque ad apicem papilloso-pubescenti atque glanduloso- 

 lepidoto, limbo 2.5-6 cm diametro lobis intus pubescentibus. Stamina glabra, 

 longiora 2.5 cm breviora 1.8 cm longa; antherae ciivaricatae, 4-4.5 mm longae; 

 staminodium 5 mm longum. Discus pulvinatus, 1.5 mm longus. Ovarium ellipsoi- 

 deum, tomentellum, compressum, sulcatum, ovulis pro loculo 4-seriatis; stylus 

 2.5-3 cm longus, tomentellus, stigmatibus ellipticis ad 6 mm longis atque 3 mm 

 latis. Capsul a forma generis typica, elliptica vel oblongo-elliptica, apice acumi- 



