13. Mendoncia glabrescens Leonard, sp. nov. FIGURE 6 Frutex volubilis, caulibus glabris, nodis parce adpresso-puberulis; lamina foliorum elliptica vel ovata vel oblonga vel obovata, apice abrupte acuminata, basi angustata, in petiolum oblique decurrens, sub- chartacea, glabra vel costa parce puberula, pilis minutis; flores in calcaribus axillaribus complanatis dipositi; pedicelli parce adpresso- puberuli; bracteae ovatae, apice obtusae et mucronulatae, ad apicem parce et obscure adpresso-puberulae; corolla alba, lobis suborbiculari- bus, rotundatis vel leviter emarginatis; drupa ovoidea, leviter com- pressa, glabra, caerulea. A large branched vine up to 9 meters high; stems pale green (Cuatrecasas), glabrous except the nodes, these sparingly and incon- spicuously appressed-puberulous; leaves elliptic, ovate, oblong or obovate, up to 12 cm. long and 8 cm. wide, rather fleshy, abruptly and slenderly acuminate at tip, narrowed at base, sometimes obliquely so, and decurrent on the petiole, glabrous, or the costa bearing a few minute whitish appressed hairs about 125μ long, the upper surface dull green, the lower a clear pale green (Cuatrecasas), the costa and lateral veins (4 or 5 pairs) rather prominent; petioles up to 2.5 cm. long, glabrous or bearing a few scattered hairs similar to those on the costa; flowers usually 5 to 7, borne on small flattened axillary spurs, the pedicels about 1 cm. long, reaching 2 cm. at maturity, bear- ing scattered appressed white hairs about 125μ long; bracts pale yellowish green, ovate, up to 12 mm. long and 7 mm, wide, obtuse and mucronate at tip, pubescent toward tip, the hairs 375 to 500μ long, appressed or ascending; corolla white, glabrous, 12 to 15 mm. long, the tube 2 mm. broad at base, slightly restricted above the base, thence expanding to 5 or 6 mm. at mouth, the limb 12 to 15 mm. broad, the lobes suborbicular, about 7 mm. in diameter, rounded or shallowly emarginate, more or less erose, the tube glandular-papillose within; stamens attached 4 mm. above the base of the tube, 5 mm. long, the anthers 3 mm. long, sagittate, aristate, the slender tip often recurved, glandular-papillose dorsally, the tips of the basal lobes densely pilose; style 13 mm. long, glabrous; fruit resembling an elongated olive (Cuatrecasas), 18 mm. long, 13 mm. broad, 6 mm. thick, glabrous, olive when immature (Cuatrecasas), dark blue when ripe (Archer).
Type in the U. S. National Herbarium, No. 1853791, collected at Barco, along the Río Cajambre, Department of El Valle, Colombia, altitude 5 to 80 meters, April 21 to 30, 1944, by J. Cuatrecasas (No. 17238). The following specimens are probably of this species: Cuatrecasas 15205 (fruiting), collected in forest near Hacienda La Planta, on the right bank of the Río Anchicayá, Department of El Valle, altitude 200 to 350 meters, September 27, 1943; Cuatrecasas 16847 (flowering), col- lected between La Trojita and Guadualito, Department of El Valle, altitude 0 to 5 meters, March 11, 1944; Archer 1708 (fruiting), col- lected between La Oveja and Quibdo, Chocó, April 1 to 2, 1931; Cuatrecasas 17182 (fruiting) (NY), also collected at Barco, along with the type. Archer states that the common name of the plant is higo silvestre (fig of the woods) and the dark blue fruit has an odor like soap and is said to be poisonous. The species can be recognized by its nitid apparently glabrous leaves (hence its name glabrescens) and by its small white flowers, their tubes bearing within and near the throat minute spherical-tipped papillae resembling adherent pollen grains. Olive-green fruits measured by Cuatrecasas (No. 17182) before dry- ing proved to be 18 mm. long, 16 mm. broad, and 12 mm. thick. The leaves and inflorescence of the type are strongly reflexed.