xi, c, i Merrill: Plants from Sorsogon Province, Luzon 13 
flowers present but six stamens, the normal number being usually nine 
or twelve. However, in all other characters it appears to be a true 
Litsea. 
SAXIFRAGACEAE 
D1CHROA Loureiro 
DICHROA PLATYPHYLLA sp. nov. 
Frutex erectus partibus junioribus inflorescentiisque exceptis 
glaber ; ramulis incrassatis, usque ad 1 cm diametro ; foliis ellip- 
ticis vel oblongo-ellipticis, membranaceis, usque ad 25 cm longis 
et 12 cm latis, acuminatis, irregulariter dentatis, nervis utrinque 
7 vel 8, valde prominentibus ; floribus numerosis, 4-meris, petalis 
leviter puberulis, staminibus 4, stigmate leviter incrassato. 
An erect shrub at least 1 m high, the ultimate branchlets 
much thickened, up to 1 cm in diameter, when dry pale brown- 
ish, the older parts glabrous, the tips somewhat puberulent. 
Leaves, membranaceous, slightly shining, olivaceous when dry, 
elliptic to oblong-elliptic, up to 25 cm long and 12 cm wide, the 
apex slenderly and sharply acuminate, the base somewhat de- 
current-acuminate, the upper surface ultimately quite glabrous, 
the lower surface paler and somewhat puberulent on the midrib 
and lateral nerves, the teeth irregular, rather prominent, some- 
what triangular, acuminate up to 2.5 mm long, sinuses rounded ; 
lateral nerves 7 or 8 on each side of the midrib, prominent, 
curved-ascending, the reticulations prominent, lax; petioles 2 
to 3 cm long. Panicles in the uppermost axils, forming a 
terminal inflorescence with a few reduced leaves, puberulent, 
the individual panicles subcorymbose, peduncled, up to 10 cm in 
length. Flowers rather numerous, blue, 7 to 8 mm in diameter, 
4-merous, rather laxly arranged, their pedicels up to 5 mm 
long. Calyx slightly puberulent, 3 to 4 mm long, the teeth 
triangular, about 1 mm long. Petals oblong, obtuse, spreading, 
slightly puberulent, 4 mm long, 1.8 mm wide. Stamens 4. 
Styles 4, spreading, about 3 mm long, the stigmas somewhat 
thickened. 
Luzon, Province of Sorsogon, Mount Lalao, Bur. Sci. 23416 Ramos, 
August 11, 1915, in damp forests. 
This species is well characterized by its broad leaves and its 4-merous 
flowers. In fact it is anomalous in Dichroa in that it presents but four 
stamens instead of from 10 to 12 as in the other described species of the 
genus. In all other characters it is distinctly a Dichroa, and is accordingly 
placed in this genus. Except in its very much larger leaves the present 
species has much the facies of Dichroa philippinensis Schltr., but the latter 
has flowers with ten stamens. 
