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48 FIELDIANA: BOTANY, VOLUME 28
minutely puncticulate with numerous narrow reticulations much
higher than broad (Fig. 6, d).
Type in herb. Chi. Nat. Hist. Mus., collected on limestone outcrops
of Pa'ramo de Tama', near Colombian-Venezuelan boundary, state of
Tachira, alt. 3045-3475 m., July 15, 1944, Julian A. Steyermark
57404. Also collected in same locality, Steyermark 57398.
Related to ft. macrochaeta Steud., from which it differs in the more
elongated achene which is stipitate-based, shorter narrower panicles,
longer scales and spikelets, narrower, more rigid, and more scabrid
leaves, and the generally smaller stature.
Rhynchospora tepuiana Steyermark, sp. nov.
Perennis caespitosa; culrais setaceis foliatis, 10-25 cm. altis,
0.5 mm. latis; foliis setaceis, glabris, 8-13 cm. longis, 0.2-0.3 mm.
lads; vaginis membranaceis, glabris, quam laminis latioribus, ore
subtruncato; inflores centia corymbosa vel subcorymbosa, 6-10 mm.
alta, 5-8 mm. lata; bracteis 2.5 cm. longis, quam inflorescentia
longioribus; spiculis 2-10, anguste ellipticis, 3-4 mm. longis, 5-floris,
5-carpis vel paucioribus; squamis late ovatis, mucronatis, 1.6-2.7
mm. longis, castaneis; setis 1-6 vel nullis, rudimentariis ,
antrorse
serrulatis, 0.5-0.9 mm. longis; achaenio elliptico-obovoideo, substipitato,
lenticulari, 1.5 mm. longo, 0.6-0.7 mm. lato, breviter
trans versim ruguloso, inter rugas leviter reticulato-puncticulato;
tuberculo deltoideo; stylo profunde diviso, ramis longis.
Orifice of sheath with 2 lateral processes; bracts setaceous;
spikelets about 1 mm. wide, with 9 scales; scales mucronate or
short-awned, the lowest 2 empty scales 1.6-1.8 mm. long, the others
2.5-2.7 mm. long; bristles ferruginous-brown; achene abruptly narrowed
and substipitate at base, gradually narrowed above, pale buff
or stramineous, pilosulous at summit just below tubercle, shallowly
cross-wrinkled with rows in between the wrinkles of faint puncticulations
higher than broad, the cells in the lower fourth longer, broader,
and nearly as broad as high; tubercle inconspicuous, deltoid or conic,
about half the width of achene, pale brown; branches of style much
longer than the style proper (Fig. 5,
Type in herb. Chi. Nat. Hist. Mus., collected on forested southwest-facing
quebrada near Rondo'n Camp, Mount Roraima, state of
Bolivar, alt. 2040 m., September 25, 1944, Julian A. Steyermark
58652. Also collected on rocky hematite exposures on open slopes
on summit at west end of Sororopan-tepui', alt. 2225-2255 m., November
13, 1944, Steyermark 60061.
This species is related to /?. Sellowiana Steud., 1855, not R.
Sellowiana Boeckl., 1873, to R. Gollmeri Boeckl., and to R. roraimae
Kuk. From R. Sellowiana Steud, it differs in its castaneous, not
stramineous spikelets with much shorter setae. From R. Gollmeri of
the Caracas and Cordillera de la Costa area, it differs in the shorter
spikelets, long-cleft style, shorter tubercle of achene, much shorter
g).