7. Mendoncia speciosa Nees
Mendoncia speciosa Nees in DC. Prodr. 11: 54. 1847. Type locality: Atangues, Peru. Collector unknown. Type in the Hooker Herbarium, Kew. Vine up to 5 meters high or more; stems quadrangular, retrorsely pilose, the hairs about 1 mm. long; leaf blades elliptic, 10 to 17 cm. long, 7 to 9 cm. wide, abruptly acuminate at apex and tipped by a mucro 1 to 2 mm. long, rounded at base, thin, veiny, scabrous above, sparingly pubescent, the hairs stiff, curved, up to 1 mm. long, more numerous on the upper surface than on the lower; petioles 1 to 1.3 cm. long; flowers 1 or 2 in each axil; pedicels 2 to 5 cm. long, glabrous or sparingly hirsute; bracts thin, ovate, 3.5 cm. long, about 2 cm. broad, connate below, rounded and mucronate at tip, rounded at base, sparingly pubescent; corolla white, glabrous, 5 to 6.5 cm. long, the throat mottled with light purple, the tube funnelform, 8 mm. broad at base, 15 to 20 mm. broad at throat, the lobes about 1 cm. long and 1.5 cm. wide, rounded, shallowly emarginate at apex; style 2.5 cm. long, the lower portion puberulent; ovary densely pubescent; fruit not seen.
Haught describes his No. 4282 as: "Slender twining plant, at least 5 m. high. Flowers showy, white, having a large dark brown blotch in throat." It was growing along a stream in a forest at an altitude of 450 meters. According to H. H. Smith (No. 1137) the corolla was white and its throat mottled with dark and light purple. Turrill cites a specimen collected near Ocaña, Department of Santander, by Schlim (No. 19). The flowers of this specimen were likewise white with a purple throat.
Wooded mountain slopes of Colombia and Peru.
GOAJIRA: 14 km, southwest of Garraipfa, Haught 4282 (US).

GOAJIRA: 14 km, southwest of Garraipfa, Haught 4282 (US).
MAGDALENA: Valparaiso, vicinity of Santa Marta, II. H. Smith 1137 (Mo, NY, Ph).