434 



MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN 



[Vol. 9, No. 3 



cano-barbatis; filamentis filiformibus vinaceis in orificio tubi affixis, 16-17 mm 

 longis; antheris linearibus, 9.5-10 mm longis, glabris, appendicibus terminalibus 

 triangularibus acutis, 0.6-0.7 mm longis, caudicibus sagittatis liberis subulatis 

 acutis, 1.7-1.8 mm longis; stylo papillato luteo, 43 mm longo apice bifido; acha- 

 eniis lineari-turbinatis, 8-9 mm longis ad 2 mm latis, 12-costatis glabris; pappo 

 stramineo vel rufescenti, ad 22 mm longo, 3-4-seriato, setis barbellatis. 



TYPE: thickets bordering savanna below Upper Falls of Rfo Tirica above 

 Summit Camp, Central Section, Chimanta" Massif, Bolivar, Venezuela, 1940 m 

 alt., February 7, 1955, Julian A. Steyermark & John J. V/urdack 574 (holotype 

 F, isotype NY). 



Quelchia N. E. Brown, Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. II. Bot. 6: 41. 1901. 



Inflorescencex loosely or compactly glomerate, axillary; heads uniflorous; 

 involucre small, cylindric, phyllaries 8-12; corolla regular, thin-textured, the 

 lobes and tube subequal, the first 2-veined, the tube 5-veined, the lobes re- 

 curved; filaments short, attached in the sinus; caudal appendage of the anthers 

 sagittate, connate except at the tip; pollen grains yellowish, tricolporate, 

 furrows long pointed; grains subprolate to prolate, sphaeroidal, spinulose; polar 

 axis 50-55 /x; style glabrous, bulbous at the base, the branches moderately long 

 (1.5-1.75 mm), recurved, dilated compressed, bluntly 3-lobed at the apex, the 

 marginal stigmatic lines obvious; achene fusiform, 10-nerved, annulate at the 

 base, the disk at the summit broader than the body; corona 2-3 mm long, entire; 

 pappus 3-4-seriate, the setae filamentous, flattened at the base, barbellate. 



Branched or virgate shrubs with alternate net-veined leaves and malpighioid 

 pubescence. A genus of four species and one recognized hybrid population. 

 Confined to the mesitas of the Roraima chain and Chimanta- tepui*. 



TYPE species: Quelchia conferta N. E. Brown. 



Key to the Species of Quelchia 



1. Inflorescences pedunculate; stems closely or densely sericeous; corollas 

 white. 



2. Leaves oblanceolate or oblong-oblanceolate; petioles 1.5-2.5 cm long; 

 peduncles 4-8 cm long. 

 3. Leaves oblanceolate to elliptic-obovate, 3-7 cm long, acute or acuminate 

 at the base; upper phyllaries glabrous on the back; corollas 10-11 mm 

 long. !• Quelchia conferta. 



3. Leaves oblong-oblanceolate to oblong, 6-12 cm long, obtuse or acute at 

 the base; all phyllaries tomentose on the back; corollas 12-14 mm long. 



2. Quelchia cardonae. 

 2. Leaves broadly elliptic to oblong-obovate, 4-6 cm long; petioles ca. 5 mm 

 long; peduncles 1-3 cm long; phyllaries glabrous on the back, scantily 

 pilose at the apex; corollas 9-10 mm long. 3. Quelchia bracteata. 



1. Inflorescences sessile; stems copiously lanate or tomentose; corollas red or 

 pink. 



4. Virgate unbranched shrub; leaves elliptic-oblong, oblong or obovate, 4-6 cm 

 long, 2.5-4 cm broad, copiously lanate-tomentose beneath. 



. 4. Quelchia eriocaulis. 



4. Virgate shrub, branched above; leaves obovate to elliptic-obovate, 6-10 cm 

 long, 4-6 cm broad, thinly tomentose becoming more or less glabrescent 



5. X Quelchia grandifolia. 



1. Quelchia conferta N. E. Brown, Trans. Linn. Soc. II. Bot. 6:41. 1901. 



TYPE: summit of Mt. Roraima 8600 ft, McConnell & Quelch 652 (Kew). 



Distribution. Originally collected on Mt. Roraima, Gran Sabana, Edo. Bolivar, 

 Venezuela. More recent collections from Roraima are: Tate 384; Pinkus 112; 

 Steyermark 58801, 58840; and from Ilu-tepui" north of Roraima: Maguire 33428. 



