1957] 



THE BOTANY OF THE GUAYANA HIGHLAND— PART II 



369 



smaller stature, less well developed panicles, and fewer flowers per head (10-15 

 rather than 12-25). Many geographically uncoordinated intermediates exist; even 

 the more typical specimens show little geographical correlation. Typical var. 

 brachylaenoides is represented by Riddel 575, Glaziou 11047, 6610, Gardner 

 490, 778, all from southeastern Brazil; Schomburgk 1014, Maguire & Maguire 

 35084, 35179, 35359, 35447 from Venezuela; and the previously mentioned 

 Peruvian collections. Collections with varying degrees of intermediacy toward 

 var. ligustrina are: Gardner 4915, Miers 3624, Glaziou 11111, 11114, from south- 

 eastern 3razil; Rusby 1490, Williams 1454, tiuchtien 258, Rusby 1579 from 

 Bolivia; and Phelps & Hitchcock 446, Cardona 1976 from Venezuela. More or 

 less typical var. ligustrina is represented by: Riedel 111/73 and Glaziou 15088 

 from southeastern Brazil; Tate 285 from Bolivia; Steyermark 58725, 59928, 

 60123, Steyermark & Wurdack 337, 338, 339, 340, 773, Phelps & Hitchcock 398, 

 Maguire & Maguire 40439, Steyermark 74892, 75872, Maguire, Wurdack, & Bunting 

 37114, 37297, 37313, Pinkus 110, Steyermark 58796, Ouelch & McGonnell 91, 

 and Tate 399, all from southern Venezuela and adjoining Brazil. The quantitative 

 characters used to distinguish B. ptariensis from 3. vitis-idaea have no signi- 

 ficance; the degree of inflorescence-development varies greatly within the series 

 Steyermark & Wurdack 337-340, all collected within a very small area on Chi- 

 manta-tepui. It is believed that the robust plants of var. brachylaenoides rep- 

 resent a response to a sheltered environment as contrasted to the usually open 

 areas in which the diminutive plants of var. ligustrina grow, at least in the 

 Pacaraima cumbres. This study has been supplemented by a generous loan of 

 the Kew material of the taxa concerned. 



Aspilia rubra Aristeguieta, sp. nov. 



Suffrutex caulibus simplicibus, erectis, usque ad 1 m altis, sparse adpresse 

 pilosis. Foliis oppositis brevipetiolatis lineari-lanceolatis apice acuminatis 

 basi obtusis vel rotundatis, 8-15 cm longis, 1.2-2.2 cm. latis, utrinque sparse 

 adpresse pilosis, denticulatis firme chartaceo-membranaceis penniveniis; petiolo 

 2-3 mm longo. Capitulis 1 vel 2, terminalibus in pedunculis 2-8 cm longis; disco 

 12-15 mm diametro. Involucri campanulati 2-seriati, 10-15 mm alti, phyllariis 

 inaequalibus (exterioribus longioribus) lanceolatis acutis herbaceis strigillosis, 

 interioribus similibus brevioribus, Radiis rubris ca. 10, neutralibus, oblongis, 

 dorso in nervis breviter pilosis, 11-12 mm longis, 3.5-4 mm latis; flosculis disci 

 glabris 4 mm longis. Achaeniis 4 mm longis sparse puberulis vel glabris, maturis 

 rugoso-tuberculatis. Pappi corona 0.5 mm longa. 



HOLOTYPE: herb 0.3-1 m, rays 11-12 orange-red, disc flowers orange, 

 occasional at savanna edge between Puerto Ayacucho and Sanariapo, elev. 

 100-120 m, Territorio Amazonas, Venezuela, Nov. 11, 1953, Bassett Maguire, 

 John J. Wurdack, & George S. Bunting 36147 (NY). Paratype: Carretera Puerto 

 Ayacucho hacia la Boca del Rio Sanariapo, alt. 120 m, Territorio Amazonas, 

 Venezuela, May, 1940, Llewelyn Williams 13078, Instituto Botanico. Caracas, 

 Venezuela. 



A. rubra is characterized by its red flowers which are very exceptional in 

 the genus. 



Verbesina schomburgkii Schultz-Bip. ex Klatt subsp. ligulata Maguire & Wurdack, 

 subsp. nov. 



Capitula ligulata; ligulis 5-10 ellipticis vel ovato-ellipticis apice 3-lobula- 

 tis; lamina 9-12.5 x 4-4.5 mm; tubo 1.5-2 mm longo. 



HOLOTYPE: Slender tree 3-6 m tall, ligules and disk fls yellow, locally 

 common in intervales, drainage of main branch, Cano Yutaje, Cerro Yutaje, 



