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88 FIELDIANA: BOTANY, VOLUME 28
It differs from E. roraimae Dammer, which also possesses peculiar,
large, colored scales, in that the scales of the lower leaf
surface of E. roraimae are rich brown, whereas those of E. ptariana
are much darker brown, being purple- or blackish-brown and darker in
the center. Furthermore, in E. ptariana there is an abundance of persistent
dark purplish-brown or blackish scales on the lower side of
the leaf rachis, whereas in E. roraimae these are either absent,
relatively sparse, or deciduous in mature leaves. Moreover, the
branches of the spadiz in E. roraimae are fuscous-brown tomentose,
whereas in E. ptariana they are minutely puberulous with buff or
light-colored hairs. Another characteristic of E. ptariana is the
glaucous gray-green leaf sheath speckled purple-brown. In addition,
the peduncle of the spadix in E, ptariana appears, by comparison
with the rachis, to be much shorter and the branches more slender
than in E. roraimae. Finally, the lowermost pinnae are much narrower
in E. ptariana than in . roraimae.
Geonoma karuaiana Steyermark, sp. nov.
Caudez 1.75-2.75 m. altus; frondibus usque ad 7.5 dm. longis
pinnatisectis; pinnis utroque latere 4; petiolo 30-33 cm. longo plus
minusve partim fusco-leproso, moz partim glabrescenti; pinnis firme
membranaceis, 35-50 cm. longis, 4-12 cm. latis, apice falcatoacuminato
filiform!, nervis primariis 4-11, subtus ad nervos squamis
fuscis persistentibus seriatis dispositis; spatha 10-11 cm. longa,
1.5-2.5 cm. lata, extus fusco-leprosa; spadice 11-20 cm. longo,
10-20 cm. crasso; pedunculo tenuiter granuloso-tuberculato squamis
fuscis; spadicis ramis 7-11, simplicibus 7 vel 2 infimis furcatis ad
apicem spinosis, 9-15 cm. longis, 3 mm. crass is, dense vel brevker
piles is, tenuiter granulosotuberculatis; floribus in foveis spiraliter
dispositis, 40 e basi ad apicem 2-4 mm. dissitis non bilabiatis,
labio inferio truncate fere recto, labio superio curvato-rotundato;
floribus masculinis: sepalis elliptico-oblongis obtusis, 2.5 mm.
longis, 1.75 mm. latis ad margines denticulatis; petalis 2.5 mm.
longis, 1.75 mm. latis, oblanceolato-oblongis obtusis usque ad 2/3
longitudinem connatis; urceolo staminali 0.5 mm. longo; filamentis
0.5 mm. longis; antheris 1.25-1*5 mm. longis; floribus foe mine is sub
anthesi: sepalis 2-2.5 mm. longis oblongo-lanceolatis; fructu
elliptic o-ovato 7 mm. longo, 6 mm. crasso, nigro (sicco) stria tula to
(sicco).
Frond dark green above, dull green below; petiole with patches of
brown scurfiness, becoming glabrescent in places; pinnae widely
separated, 7.5 cm. separating the first pair from the second, 7.5-8.5
cm. separating the second pair from the third, and 6-7.5 cm. separating
the third pair from the fourth pair, the lower 3 pairs of pinnae
35-45 cm. long, 4-4.5 cm. wide, 7-11-nerved, narrowly lanceolate,
falcate -acuminate, the apez prolonged into a long filiform tip 3-4.5
cm. long; uppermost pairs of pinnae 45-50 cm. long, 11-12 cm. wide,
broadly lanceolate, with 4 primary nerves, the falcate-acmoinate