New Species of Cestrum (Solanaceae) and Synonymy under Two Widespread Species Carmen Benitez de Rojas Facultad Agronomfa, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Maracay, Apartado Correos 4597, Aragua, Venezuela William G. D'Arcy Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri 63166, U.S.A.ABSTRACT. Three new species of Cestrum, C. til-lettii, C. jaramillanum, and C. ruizteranianum, arenewly described from Venezuela. Cestrum tomen-tosum L. f. and C. strigilatum Ruiz & Pav6n havebeen identified as the correct names for two spe-cies for which many names have been proposed,and synonymies for these two species are pre-sented. Three new species are described from differentparts of Venezuela: Sierra de Perijii in northeasternZulia State, the western, Andean region of MeridaState, and the more or less central part of the coast-al range in the Federal District. The last species isalso found in Ecuador. Two other widespread species have been knownunder many different names, and because con-cepts of their ranges have been fragmented withso many names in use, we present the synonymyhere, rather than waiting until a revision of thegenus can be published for some major region.One of these, C. tomentosum L. f., ranges fromMexico to Peru and Venezuela; the other, C. stri-gilatum Ruiz & Pav6n, ranges from Costa Rica toVenezuela, Peru, Brazil, and Argentina. Cestrumembraces many species with local or regional dis-tributions, but these two add to the short list ofspecies that are widespread in both Central andSouth America: C. alternifolium (Jacquin) 0. E.Schulz, C. latifolium Lamarck, C. megalophyllumDunal, C. microcalyx Francey, C. reflexum Sendt-ner, C. racemosum Ruiz & Pav6n, and C. scandensVahl.Cestrum jaramillanum Benftez & I)Arcy, sp. nov. TYPE: Ecuador. Pichincha: Centenela, Montafias de Ila, 12 km E of Patricia Pilar, virgin rain forest, 550-650 m, 79�19'W, 0�34'S, 10 July 1979 (f). Lojtnant & Molau 15835 (holotype, AAU; isotype, GB). Figure 1. Arbor frutexve 2-3 m, foliis ovatis, basi rotundatis,truncatis, subcordatisve, membranaceis, glabrescentis, fo-liis minoris ovatis. Inflorescentia axillaria, subumbellata,axibus 6-7 mm longis, tomentulosis glabratisve. Bracteaesessiles foliaceae, lanceolatae, ad maturitatam fructus per-sistens, lateraliter calycem involvens. Shrub or small tree 2-3 m, branched, thebranches slender, at first compressed, sometimesdrying grooved, later terete, tomentulose withmostly reduced, crinkled ascending hairs, the in-ternodes 3-4.5 cm long. Leaves ovate, 10-14 X4-7.5 cm, basally rounded, truncate, or subcor-date, apically short-acuminate, membranous orchartaceous, glabrous above on emerging, the bas-al half beneath tomentulose on emerging, glabres-cent, the veins inconspicuous above, the costa andmajor veins slightly reddish, somewhat elevatedand finely puberulent beneath, the lateral veins 7-8 on each side, ascending, distally arcuate orlooping and forming a submarginal vein 0.5-1 cmfrom the margin, the margin plane; petiole 5-10mm long, finely pubescent; minor leaves ovate, 7x 1.5 mm, sessile, glabrate. Inflorescences axil-lary, the peduncle ca. 1 mm long, longer in fruit,subumbellate with 3 axes 6-7 mm long, tomen-tulose to glabrate, in fruit 15 mm long. Flowerssessile; bracts foliaceous, narrowly lanceolate, 10X 3.5 mm, persistent in fruit and partially envel-oping the calyx laterally, sessile, acuminate, gla-brate or pubescent on both sides; calyx tubular, 4X 2.5 rnm, drying stramineous, basally rugulose.glabrate, 5-lobed, the lobes deltoid to broadly acu-minate, faintly 5-costate; corolla pale green. 29-30 mm, the tube 26 mm long, gradually expandedupward, the mouth not contracted, 2.5-3 mmwide, 5-lobed, the lobes 6-6.5 X 1 mm. oblong,the apex acute, the pleated margin short-pilose;stamens 22-23 mm long, the filaments straight,smooth, glabrous, basally adnate for 21 mm, free1 mm; anthers orbicular, 1 mm across; ovary 0.7mm diam., slightly rugose, glabrous; ovules 5-6; NovoN 5: 311-317. 1995.
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