Cephaëlis sandwithiana Steyerm.

• Authority

  Maguire, Bassett. 1967. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part VII. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 17: 1-439.

• Family

  Rubiaceae

• Scientific Name

  Cephaëlis sandwithiana Steyerm.

• Description

  Latin Diagnosis - Suftrutex 2-2.5 m altus, caulibus 1-1.2 cm diam glabris; stipulis breviter rotundato-cupularibus ore integris subtruncatisque glabris supremis 2-3 mm longis; foliis petiolatis, petiolis 2-2.5 cm longis glabris; laminis elliptico-obovatis apice abrupte acuminatis, acumine 1 cm longo, basi acutis vel subacutis 26-37 cm longis 10-12 cm latis utrinque glabris, nervis lateralibus numerosis utroque latere 40-45 vix cernenclibus 3-5 mm disjunctis subhorizontaliter arcuatis, venulis tertiariis obsoletis; inflorescentia terminali capitata depresso-hemis phaerica 2.8 cm longa 1.7 cm lata (pedunculo non incluso); pedunculo 4.5 cm longo 3 mm lato infra apicem dilatato glabro; bracteis sub inflorescentia duabus 18 mm longis 26 mm latis in vaginam 5 mm basi connatis glabris; floribus numerosis pedicellatis ebracteolatis, pedicellis carnosis incrassatis obtuse angulatis 7-8 mm longis 1.5-2 mm latis; inflorescentiac bracteis interioribus sub fasciculis trium pediccllorum falcato-sublanceolatis vel oblongo-lanceolatis obtuse acutis 3.5-4 mm longis 1-1.5 mm latis glabris integris vel prope basim uni-dentatis; calyce hypanthioque subcampanulato 3 mm longo glabro, hypanthio cum pedicello sensim conjuncto, calycis tubo 1.5-2 mm longo 2.5 mm lato ore inaequaliter 5-dentato, dentibus brevibus late deltoideis subundulato-subtriangularibus obtusis 0.2 - 0.6 mm longis 0.5-1 mm latis glabris, uno lobo magis elongato quam ceteris; corolla anguste tubulosa 12-13 mm longa, tubo 9-11 mm longo basi 1 mm lato ubique glabro, lobis quinque ovatis subacutis 2 mm longis 1.5 mm latis extus glabris intus papillatis infra apicem appendice inflexa cucullata incrassata munitis; staminibus ut videtur sessilibus vel fere sessilibus infra medium tubi corollae supra basim tubi 3.5 mm insertis, antheris linearibus 2 mm longis 0.2-0.4 mm latis.

• Discussion

  This species is named in honor of Mr. N. Y. Sandwith, who carefully worked out the differences between Cephaelis nivea and C. altsoni, the species most closely related to the present one. Cephaelis sandwithiana differs from C. nivea Sandw. in the shortly connate bracts of the involucre, shorter corollas, and longer pedicels. From C. altsoni Sandw. it differs in the shorter peduncle, longer pedicels, absence of bracteoles, more conspicuously and unequally dentate calyx-lobes, and acute, ovate calyx-lobes.