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BOTANICAL EXPLORATION IN VENEZUELA - I 229
of the plant abundantly pilose with several-celled hairs up to 1 mm.
in length. The leaves, stems, and pedicels are especially pilose,
while the sepals are sparsely so without.
Stellaria venezuelana Steyermark, sp. nov.
Herba perennis, caulibus diffuso-patentibus vel erectis, ramosis,
plerumque glabris; internodiis elongatis, inferioribus quam folia
longioribus vel ea aequantibus, superioribus quam folia brevioribus
vel longioribus; laminis membranaceis magnis, late ovatis vel cordatis
apice longe acuminatis, basi cordatis vel subcordatis, supra
praeter pauces pilos per costam glabris, infra parce pilosis secundum
costam ceterum glabris, 15-45 mm. longis, 10-30 mm. latis, longe
petiolatis; petiolis prominenter longe ciliatis praesertim basim versus,
plerumque 12-37 mm. longis; floribus pluribus minimis in dichasiis
valde compositis longissime pedunculatis; pedunculis
gracillimis, 3.5-9 cm. longis, glabratis vel glandulari-puberulis,
praesertim superne; bracteis late lanceolatis vel elliptico-ovatis,
acuminatis, 3-5 mm. longis, 1.5-2.5 mm. latis; pedicellis tenuissimis,
5-10 mm. longis, dense glandulari-puberulis; sepalis 4, liberis, membranaceis,
late ovatis, obtusiusculis scariosis 1-nerviis glabris, 1.5-
2.5 mm. longis, 1 mm. latis; petalis 4, alb is ligulato-oblongis obtusis,
bilobatis, quam sepalis longioribus, 2-3.5 mm. longis, 1-1.5
mm. latis, lobis 1 mm. longis, 0.5 mm. latis; staminibus 5-6 quam
petala brevioribus vel ea aequantibus; filamentis glabris; antheris
suborbicularibus, 0.3 mm. longis; stylis 2, filiformibus, ad apicem
recurvatis, 1 mm. longis; ovario 1-2 mm. longo; ovulis 4; semine
maturo 1, fusco, lenticulari-reniformi, papillato-verrucoso* 1.5 mm.
longo,
1.5 mm. lato.
Type in herb. Chi. Nat. Hist. Mus., collected in forest along
stream at base of Cerro de Diablo (western extension of southern
peak of Cerro Turumiquire), state of Sucre, alt. 2000-2100 m., May
11, 1945, Julian A. Steyermark 62739; also collected on Cerro
Turumiquire, north-facing slopes above La Trinidad in cloud forest
zone, southwest of Cocollar, state of Sucre, alt. 2100-2200 m., May
5, 1945, Steyermark 62557, "stems erect, sprangling and branching;
leaves membranaceous, pale green below, dull green above; petals
white"; and, in wet thickets, between El Cobre and Cordero, state of
Ta'chira, alt. 1520-1820 m., July 8, 1944, Steyermark 57121, "sprawling
on floor of dwarfed forest in shade; leaves thin; petals small,
white"; also ad vias regionis subalpine prope coloniam Tovar,
Fendlcr46, Moritz 1903.
This distinctive species, characterized by its 2 styles, 4 sepals,
4 petals, 5-6 stamens, minute flowers arranged in a branched dichasial
cyme, and long-p etiolate large, cordate-ovate leaves, was at
first believed to be conspecific with S. micrantha Spruce (in Rohrbach,
Linnaea 37: 280. 1871-73). That species, the type of which
must be based upon the first-mentioned collection cited in the list of
exsiccatae examined, namely, "in Andibus Ecuadorensibus (Spruce