1957] 



BOTANY OF THE CHMANTA MASSIF— I 



399 



the midnerve thickened above, sometimes very shortly excurrent; lemma of first 

 fertile floret 4-4.5 mm long, similar to the sterile lemma; palea about 1 mm longer 

 than the lemma, the narrow tip hispidulous, the keels more or less scabrous or 

 ciliate. 



TYPE: locally frequent in lower part of lower cumbre, alt. 2100-2200 m, north- 

 west cumbres, Churi-tepuf (Muru-tepui*), Bolivar, Venezuela, January 24, 1953, 

 John J. Wurdack 34194 (US 2,116,114). 



Neurolepis glomerata Swallen, sp. nov. 



Panicula 80 cm longa, anguste pyramidata, basi 20 cm lata, ramis crassis 

 patentibus vel adscendentibus, inferioribus ramulis brevibus, patentibus, den- 

 sifloris; spiculae glomeratae, 5.5-6.3 mm longae, brevissime pedicellatae; glumae 

 latae, acuate vel obtusae, prima, 1.3-1.6 mm longa, secunda 2-2.3 mm longa; 

 lammata sterilia obtusa, minute ciliata, primum ca. 2.6 mm longum, secundum 

 3.6-4 mm longum; lemma fertile acutum vel mucronatum, acre. 



Panicle more than 80 cm long, narrowly pyramidal, at least 20 cm wide at the 

 base, the coarse branches spreading or widely ascending with a very large 

 pulvinus at the base, the lower branches with short, spreading, very densely 

 flowered, somewhat distant branchlets, the very short secondary branchlets sub- 

 tended by glume-like bracts; spikelets 5.5-6.3 mm long, very short-pedicellate; 

 glumes broad, acute or obtuse, the first 1.3-1.6 mm long, the second 2-2.3 mm 

 long; sterile lemmas obtuse, the tip minutely ciliate, the first about 2.6 mm long, 

 the second 3.6-4 mm long; fertile lemma acute or mucronate, sharp-pointed; palea 

 about as long as the lemma, blunt, not keeled. 



TYPE: common type; inflorescence often leafless, straight; stem 20-25 feet 

 tall; Bonnetia forest, northwestern part of summit of Abacapa-tepul, alt. 2125- 

 2300 m, Chimanta Massif, Bolivar, Venezuela, April 13, 1953, Julian A. Steyer- 

 mark 74925 (in part; US 2,182,879). Steyermark 74925 is a mixture; the inflo- 

 rescence is Neurolepis but the vegetative sheets are Myriocladus. Steyermark 

 74926 is entirely Neurolepis, but all the spikelets have fallen from the panicle. 

 It is obviously, however, the same as described above. The vegetative parts are 

 as follows: 



Base hard, woody, about 8 mm thick, about 50 cm long, consisting of about 12 

 shortened internodes, the leaves fallen, with occasional prop roots; sheaths 

 smooth and shining, the back much thickened toward the summit, somewhat 

 auriculate, the auricles fimbriate; ligule about 8 mm long, the membrane behind 

 it about 2 cm long; blades deciduous, 1.5 m long or probably longer, 4-5 cm wide, 

 more or less scabrous on the margins, attenuate-pointed, attenuate toward the 

 base to a hard, sulcate petiole about 10 cm long. 



Neurolepis densiflora Swallen, sp. nov. 



Culmi usque ad 9 m alti; vaginae ca. 30 cm longae, subauriculatae, in ore 

 fimbriatae; panicula 85 cm longa, ca. 12 cm lata, attenuata, ramis rigide ad- 

 scendentibus, basi nudis, ramulis brevibus appressis; spiculae 6-6.5 mm longae, 

 brevissime pedicellatae, appressae; glumae et lemmata sterilia acuta vel sub- 

 obtusa, interdum apiculata; gluma prima 1-1.2 mm longa; gluma secunda 1.5-2 

 mm longa; lemma sterile primum 2.4-3 mm longum; lemma sterile secundum 3.5- 

 3.8 mm longum; lemma fertile mucronatum, mucrone 0.5-0.8 mm longo. 



Vegetative specimen consists of a fascicle of lower sheaths (blades fallen) 

 and a portion of the culm above it; culm 1 cm thick with relatively thin walls; 

 sheaths about 30 cm long, the back thick and hard, the margins very thin, scarcely 

 auriculate, fimbriate in the throat; panicle 85 cm long, about 12 cm wide at the 



