Retiniphyllum tepuiense Steyerm.

• Authority

  Maguire, Bassett. 1965. The Botany of the Guayana Highland. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 12 (3): 1-285.

• Family

  Rubiaceae

• Scientific Name

  Retiniphyllum tepuiense Steyerm.

• Type

  Type. Shrub 2-3 m; flowers whitish; along water course, upper East Basin, Cerro Sipapo (Paraque), Amazonas, Venezuela, at alt. 1600-1800 m, 20 Jan 1949, Bassett Maguire d Louis Politi 28458 (holotype N Y ) . Paratypes. Cerro Sipapo (Paraque), Maguire cO Politi 27578, 27680, 27784, 27870; summit, Cerro de la Neblina, Maguire, Wurdack & Bunting 37030, 37163, 42129.

• Description

  Latin Diagnosis - Frutex vel arbuseula ad 8-metralis, ramis novellis scabridulis; stipulis 3 mm longis apice truncatis scabridulis; foliis petiolatis, petiolis 7-13 mm longis sparse minuteque scabridulis vel supremis magis dense scabridulis; laminis oblanceolatis vel elliptico-oblongis vel oblongo-oblanceolatis vel oblongis apice rotundatis vel obtusis basi subacutis vel aeutis 5-9 cm longis 1.7-3.5 cm latis, supra glabris costa media subsulcata, subtus costa media minute sparseque scabridula vel glabrata, ceterum praesertim glabris, marginibus paullo revolutis minute scabridulis, utrinque venulis tertiariis laxe reticulatis; nervis lateralibus utroque latere 9-11; inflorescentia racemosa 4.8-11.5 cm longa 15-17-flora terminali 0.6-2.5 cm longe pedunculata, rhachi minute asperula vel scabridula 2-2.5 mm diam; floribus pedicellatis oppositis vel inferioribus medianisque 3—4-subverticillatis, pedicellis 2.5-7 mm longis 1-1.5 mm erassis sparse vel moderate minuteque scabridulis; involucello disciformi 0.7-0.8 mm longo apice 2 mm lato margine apicis dense tuberculis minutissimis resinosis tuberculato instrueto minute sparseque scabridulo; calyce tubuloso 5-7 mm longo apice 3-3.5 mm lato apice repando-denticulato modice vel dense scabridulo; corolla albida vel viridi-albida interdum pallido-rosea suffusa hypocrateriformi 16-17 mm longa, tubo 7.5 mm longo basi 2.25-2.5 mm lato fauce 4 mm lato extus einereo-sericeo parte basilari 3 mm glabra excepta, intus supra medium (3/4-7/8 longitudinis) annulo pilorum barbatorum instrueto supra annulum usque ad faucem 3 mm pubescenti infra annulum ad basin 4.5-5 mm glabro, lobis lineari- vel ligulato-oblongis apice rotundatis 9-9.5 mm longis 3.5-4 mm latis tubum longioribus utrinque cinereosericeis; antheris 3.6-3.7 mm longis loculis 2 mm longis eonnectivo in acumen 0.8-1 nan longum producto basi appendice oblongo 1 mm longo 0.7 mm lato instrueto; filamentis 5.5 mm longis 1 mm latis strigilloso-sericeis; stylo 14-15 mm longo supra medium pubescenti parte infima 6.5 mm glabra deinde piloso pilis patentibus instrueto; fructu subglobose, pyrenis 8-9 mm longis 7-8 mm latis prominente 5-angulatis.

• Discussion

  This species is thus far known only from two sandstone table mountains". (Cerro Sipapo and Cerro de la Neblina) in the Territorio Federal Amazonas, Venezuela, where it occurs in scrub forest at alt. 1500-1900 m.