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BOTANICAL EXPLORATION IN VENEZUELA - I 221<br />
glabris; racemis axillaribus simplicibus 12.5-13 cm. longis, 1-2 mm.<br />
latis, rhachi minute ferrugineo vel partim glabrato; pedicellis patent!-<br />
bus 2.5-4 mm. longis, ferrugineo-tomentosis; sepalis 7-9 mm. longis,<br />
extus minute furfuraceis; staminibus 4; antheris lineari-oblongis 3<br />
mm. longis cum appendiculo rotundato; filamentis 3/4 longitudine ad<br />
calycem adnatis, in parte superiori quadrans liberis, pane liberi 1<br />
mm. longo; squamellis hypogynis 4 suborbicularibus, 0.2-0.3 mm.<br />
longis; ovario breviter ferrugineo-hirsutulo, 1.5-1.6 mm. longo; stylo<br />
erecto glabro, 4.6 mm. longo; stigmate clavato parum incrassato.<br />
Type in herb. Chi. Nat. Hist. Mus., collected on rocky hematite<br />
exposures at west end, on summit, Sororopa'n-tepui, state of Bolivar,<br />
alt. 2225-2255 m., November 13, 1944, Julian A. Steyermark 60089.<br />
This is related to R. obtusata Kl. of Brazil and British Guiana,<br />
from which it<br />
may be distinguished by the tomentose pedicels and<br />
rachis of the inflorescence, the ferruginous scurfy tomentum on the<br />
lower leaf surface, as well as on some of the stems, petioles, and<br />
larger flowers.<br />
LORANTHACEAE<br />
Gaiodendron punctatum (Ruiz & Pavon) G. Don, var. puracense<br />
(H.B.K.) Steyermark, comb. nov.<br />
Loranthus puracensis H.B.K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 3: 437. 1820;<br />
Gaiodendron puracensis (H.B.K.) G. Don, Gen. Syst. 3: 432. 1834.<br />
In his Flora of Peru, vol. 13, part II, no. 2, p. 397, Macbride states<br />
for G. puracense, "Perhaps only a variety of G. punctatum, but<br />
slenderer and smaller in all its parts".<br />
I am in agreement with this<br />
statement, and therefore a reduction of this entity to varietal rank is<br />
necessary.<br />
Knuth (Ink. Fl. Venez., in Rep. Sp. Nov. Veg. 43: 301. 1928)<br />
refers an Vie collection from Roraima to G. punctatum, but it is<br />
probable that it belongs to this variety puracense which the present<br />
author collected on Ptari-tepuf in the same general region. Pittier et<br />
al in the Catalogo de la Flora Venezolana, vol. 1, p. 268, under<br />
G. punctatum, state that "el material que poseemos en el herbario<br />
bajo esto nombre, parece ser referible a la siguiente especie" (G,<br />
Tagua). Thus, outside of the Vie collection above cited, the following<br />
collection is the only Venezuelan material with deep yellow<br />
flowers that can be referred correctly to the G. punctatum group:<br />
"Growing 35 feet up on bluffs, along base of south-facing high sandstone<br />
bluffs, Ptari-tepui, state of Bolivar, alt. 2410 m., November 6,<br />
1944, Julian A. Steyermark 59912, flowers very fragrant, like exotic<br />
perfume; floral buds orange-yellow; style, filaments, and petals deep<br />
yellow, calyx pale green; leaves coriaceous or subcoriaceous, deep<br />
green above, pale green below; petals recurved in upper half; shrub<br />
3 feet tall".