A NEW SPECIES OF MYROCARPUS (LEGUMINOSAE) AND A BRIEF RESUME OF THE GENUS Velva E. Rudd, Smithsonian Institution The small genus Myrocarpus Frelre Allemao has hitherto been known only from southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northeastern Ar-gentina. The new species from Venezuela, described below, is an interesting disjunct. Like the related genera, Myroxylon L. f . and Myrospennum Jacq., it is balsamiferous, and when sterile can be recognized by leaflets with pellucid dots and dashes. Myrocarpus has smaller flowers, the pods are elongate, compressed, usually 3~5~Beeded, with marginal wings, in contrast to those of Myroxylon and Myrospermum which are commonly 1-seeded, with a basal wing. Some of the species of Myrocarpus are poorly known, and I am reserving Judgment as to how "good" they are. The following key and descriptions are based on what information I have at hand. Myrocarpus . with Myroxylon and Myrospermimi. has been placed in the faboid tribe Sophoreae by most authors. Hutchinson (Gen. Fl. PI. 1: 31^. 196^) included Myrocarpus in his expanded inter-pretation of the tribe Cadiae, which he transferred from the Caesalpiniaceae to the Fabaceae, but retained Myroxylon and Myro -sperm\im in the Sophoreae. Much more study is needed of the genera transitional between the caesalpinioid and faboid Leguminosae be-fore a satisfactory understanding and classification can be reached. For the time being, I prefer to retain Myrocarpus In the Sophoreae sensu latior . MYROCARHJS Freire Allemao, Diss. Leg. 26 Oct. 184t. Trees, unarmed, balsamiferous; leaves alternate, Imparlpln-nate, (l-) 3-9 (-lO)-foliolate; leaflets alternate, ovate to lan-ceolate-ovate, glabrous, with pellucid dots and dashes; stipules minute, caducous; stipels lacking; inflorescences axillary or pseudoterminal, many-flowered spicate racemes; bracts minute, deltoid; bracteoles lacking; flowers smajl, fragrant, about 6-8 mm. long; calyx turbinate -campanulate, subsericeousm 3~^ n™* long with 5 short, subequal lobes, the vexillar lobes sometimes con-nate; corolla with (3-^) 5 free, whitish, linear, clawed, sub-equal, glabrous petals about 1 mm. wide; stamens 6, 8, or 10, the filaments free, subequal, mostly exceeding the petals, the an-thers uniform, subcordiform, basifixed, dehiscing by lateral slits; ovary brevi-stipitate, usually 3-5-ovulate, the style short, glabrous, the stigma minute, terminal; fruit elongate, laterally compressed, samaroid with marginal wings, coomonly 3"5" seeded; seeds compressed fusifonn or oblong, the hilum apical. Type species: M. fastigiata Freire Allemao. lioi
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