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BOTANICAL EXPLORATION IN VENEZUELA - I 173
This species does not appear to have any near ally, but it recalls
a small form of the North American Pogonia ophio gloss aides (L.)
Ker-Gawl.
Prescottia carnosa C. Schweinfurth, sp. nov.
Herba terrestris, stricta; pro genere mediocris. Folia tria, basalia,
prominenter petiolata; lamina ovata, acuta, basi rotundata vel subtruncata,
valde coriacea. Scapus glaber, remote multivaginatus.
Raceraus subdense multiflorus. F lores parvi. Sepala petalaque
revoluto-circinnata. Sepala similia, oblonga vel triangulari-oblonga,
apice abrupte rotundata, lateralia paulo majora et in saccum ovario
adnatum basi producta. Petala linearia, apice abrupte rotundata.
Labellum erectum, multo majus, subgloboso-concavum, valde carnosum,
intus medio unicarinatum, basi utrinque in auriculam adnatam
eztensum. Columna abbreviata.
Plant terrestrial, strict, medium-sized for the genus, about 50.5
cm. high. Roots fascicled, tuberous, densely lanuginose. Stem up
to the inflorescence glabrous, about 41.5 cm. long, rose-red, provided
with many (about 13) sheaths which are relatively short imbricating
and coriaceous at base, scarious longer and remote in the
middle, and scarious and very short above. Leaves 3, entirely basal
(i.e. rosulate), long-petioied; lamina ovate, acute, abruptly rounded
to subtruncate at base, with the margins entire but often appearing
erose-crenulate in the dried specimen, coriaceous, deep green above,
silvery beneath with rose-red mid-rib, about 4.7 cm. long and 3 cm.
wide; petioles fleshy
and deeply sulcate, abruptly dilated above,
rose-red, about 5.5-6.5 cm. long. Inflorescence subdensely manyflowered,
looser below; rachis 8.5 cm. long, rose-red. Floral bracts
ovate, long-acuminate, scarious, shorter than the ovary. Flowers
very small, non-res up inate (i.e. with lip uppermost), tawny-yellow
and salmon, sepals and petals submembranaceous and recurvedcircinnate,
lip fleshy. Dorsal sepal oblong or lanceolate-oblong,
abruptly rounded at the apex, 1-nerved, about 3 mm. long and 1.2 mm.
wide below when expanded. Lateral sepals triangular-oblong, forming
at base a sac adnate to the ovary; free part similar to the dorsal
sepal, shortly connate on the inner margins, about 3*5 mm. long and
nearly 2 mm. wide below. Petals linear, abruptly rounded at the
apex, 1-nerved, about 2.6 mm. long and 0.9 mm. wide. Lip relatively
large, subglobose-concave, tapering on each side below into a long
auricle which is mostly adnate to the sepaline wall but free at the
apex, very fleshy, about 7-nerved, divided in the middle by a prominent
but short longitudinal keel, glabrous within but densely minutepapillose
on the outer surface. Column abbreviated, very stout
(Fig. 28).
Type in herb. Chi. Nat. Hist. Mus., no. 1203753, Brocchinia-
Stegolepis-Heliamphora swamp on southwest-facing shoulder, Ptaritepui,
state of Bolivar, alt. 2200 m., November 2, 1944, Julian A.
Steyermark 59772.