1957] 



BOTANY OF THE CHIMANTA MASSIF— I 



409 



Paepalanthus cumbricola Moldenke, sp. nov. 



Herba perennis; caulibus elongatis brachiatis densissime foliosis adscenden- 

 tibus vel erectis; ramis brevibus dense foliosis; foliis subcoriaceis acutis supra 

 dense longeque pilosis, dein glabrescentibus nitidisque, subtus parce pilosis vel 

 glabris; pedunculis obscure 4-costatis dense albido-pilosis, pilis antrorsis ad- 

 pressis sericeis; vaginis arete adpressis parce pilosis multistriatis, laminis ova- 

 tis acuminatis paullo patentibus, marginibus interioribus plusminusve longe cili- 

 atis, ad apicem breviter ciliatis; capitulis hemisphaericis griseis; bracteolis 

 involucri atro-brunneis ovatis argute attenuato-acutis ciliatis densiuscule apicem 

 versus pilosis. 



Perennial herb; stems elongate to 17 cm, several-branched, very densely leafy 

 ascending or erect; branches short, densely leafy; leaves subcoriaceous, firm, 

 bright green on both surfaces when young, darker or brunnescent in age, 1.5-3 

 cm long, 3-4 mm wide at the middle, to 5 mm wide at the base, gradually attenuate 

 from the base to the acute apex, entire, densely long-pilose above with white 

 hairs when young, glabrescent and shiny in age, scattered-pilose or glabrous be- 

 neath, the venation practically indiscernible; peduncles about 5 per branch, borne 

 at its apex, erect, 13-5-15 cm long, rather obscurely 4-costate, densely whitish- 

 pilose with antrorse, appressed silky hairs, more irregularly so in age; sheath 

 2.5-4 cm long, closely appressed, scattered-pilose, many-striate, the blade ovate, 

 about 4 mm long, acuminate, somewhat spreading, more or less long-ciliate on the 

 lower margins and short-ciliate toward the apex; heads hemispheric, 8-10 mm wide, 

 grayish; involucral bractlets firm, dark- brown, ovate, about 2.5 mm long and 1.5 

 mm wide, sharply attenuate-acute at the apex, rather densely pilose toward the 

 apex on the back, ciliate-margined; receptacle pilose; florets sessile; staminate 

 florets: sepals 3, separate, oblanceolate, brownish toward the apex, about 2.5 mm 

 long and 0.75 mm wide, obtuse at the apex, densely white-barbate near and at the 

 apex on the back; petals 3, connate into a stramineous tube about 2.5 mm long, 

 the free portions very short, hyaline, glabrous; stamens 3, exserted; filaments 

 white, flattened, glabrous; anthers pale yellowish; pistil-rudiment short, brown, 

 included in the corolla-tube; pistillate florets: sepals 3, separate, brownish to- 

 ward the apex, oblong, navicular, concave, about 2.5 mm long and 1.15 mm wide, 

 obtuse or subacute at the apex, densely white-barbate at the apex on the back; 

 petals 3, separate, flat, stramineous or subhyaline, oblong or oblong-spatulate, 

 about 2.7 mm long and 0.75 mm wide, obtuse or subacute at the apex, densely 

 long-pilose, with the basal hairs equaling or surpassing the petals in length; 

 style stout, stramineous, about 1.2 mm long, glabrous, its appendages 3, alternat- 

 ing with and at the same level as the stigmas, about 0.75 mm long; stigmas 3, 

 about 0.75 mm long; ovary oblong, 0.9-1 mm long, glabrous, 3-celled, 3-sulcate. 



TYPE: John J. Wurdack 34308, upper part of the cumbre, 2300-2350 m alt., 

 northwest cumbres, Churi-tepui (Muru-tepui ), Bolivar, Venezuela, February 3, 

 1953 (N Y). The collector notes that the species is locally abundant, in bud and 

 in old fruit, but mostly sterile. 



Paepalanthus stegolepoides Moldenke, sp. nov 



Herba perennis multiramosa; caulibus crassis dense foliosis; ramis gracilibus 

 densissime foliosis longe pilosis; foliis graminoideis adscendentibus vel patenti- 

 bus, denique reflexis, acutis chartaceis utrinque glabris; pedunculis erectis 4- 

 costatis paullo contortis brunneis glabris; vaginis brunneis arete adpressis gracil- 

 ibus glabris multistriatis paullo contortis, laminis attenuato-acutis; capitulis 

 hemisphaericis albidis vel griseis, ad basin nigris; bracteolis involucri nigris 

 obovato-lingulatis obtusis ad apicem obscure breviterque ciliolatis. 



