A new species, Calathea misantlensis, is described and illustrated. Its closest affinities are with C. coccinea Standley & Steyermark from Chiapas and Oaxaca, Mexico, and Guatemala, but it differs from that species in inflorescence morphology. RESUMEN. Una nueva especie, Calathea misantiensis, se describe e ilustra. Sus afinidades m~is cercanas son con C. coccinea Standley & Steyermark de Chiapas y Oaxaca (Mexico) y Guatemala, pero difiere de esta especie en la morfologfa de la inflorescencia. Calathea is a New World genus of about 300 species, most of them tropical. While examining specimens for a study of the Marantaceae of Veracruz, six Calathea species were identified as occurring in this state. A few herbarium specimens were tentatively identified as C. coccinea. However, observations from field studies and from plants growing at the botanical garden at Francisco Javier Clavijero del Instituto de Ecologfa, A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, led me to conclude that they are actually a new species. Calathea misantlensis Lascurain, sp. nov. TYPE: Mexico. Veracruz: Mpio. Yecuatla, la Zeta, arriba de Luz Bella, 1200 m, 19049'N, 96?49'W, 4 June 1991, C. Gutidrrez 4215 (holotype, XAL). Planta acaulis, rhizomatosa. Folia corrugata, ovata vel amplissime ovata, tenuia, cum acumine, basi rotundata. Spica ovoidea, capitata, compacta, pedunculo subglabro. Bracteae spiraliter dispositae, ovatae, apiculatae, basi obtusae vel rotundatae. Corollae lobis ovatis vel ellipticis, rubris. Staminodium callosum obovatum, cucullatum, rubrum. Capsula obovoidea. Rhizomatous acaulescent deciduous herbs, 11.5 m high. Leaves borne in a basal rosette, new shoots developing from rhizomes. Petiole glabrous to pubescent, ca. 34 cm long. Pulvinus delicate, elliptic in cross section, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial surface with several longitudinal dark pubescent lines, light yellow, 1.4--4 cm long. Sheath auriculate, delicate, translucent, glabrous, 18.5-34 cm long. Cataphylls membranaceous when live, glabrous to pubescent, 5-18 cm long and probably longer. Lamina corrugate, ovate to widely ovate, delicate, smooth, membranaceous, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial surface glabrous to pubescent, apex lightly apiculate, base obtuse to rounded, midrib pubescent, darker than the rest, 29.5-47 cm long, 21-27 cm wide. Inflorescences simple, terminal, capitate, ovate to widely ovate, 3.5-7 cm long, 2.5--6.5 cm wide, occasionally with two inflorescences per shoot, one pedunculate and the other sessile, the second one developing in the middle of the peduncle, with one bract, this acuminate, clasping, membranous, redand green-spotted, longer than the pair of flowers that protect or cover it, 5 cm long, 3 cm wide; occasionally developing in the basal portion of the peduncle with one pair of red flowers, with one bract. Peduncle dark brown to red, succulent, subglabrous, to 63 cm long. Bracts closely set, 15-30, spirally arranged, lanceolate to ovate, red to green or yellow, 2-5.5 cm long, ca. 1-1.3 cm wide, the basal ones 3.3 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide, membranaceous or fibrous, apex acute to acuminate, base truncate, abaxial surface pubescent, adaxial surface glabrous, each bract subtending two pairs of flowers, the lowermost margins corrugate. Prophyll bicarinate, carina with villous margins, apex sericeous, 1.3-1.5 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide. Interphyll membranaceous, glabrous, apex obcordate, 1.1 cm long, 0.8 cm wide. Bracteoles lanceolate, flat in cross section, 1-2 per cymule, membranaceous, glabrous, somewhat fibrous and strong when dry, 1.4 cm long, 1.6 cm wide. Flowers sessile, red, closed and open. Corolla tube with the internal side of throat hirsute in the median part, 1.2-3.8 cm long, ca. 0.5 cm wide. Lobes ovate to elliptic, red, almost equal, 1.2-3.2 cm long, 0.3-0.8 cm wide. Sepals glabrous, equal, persistent in fruit, papyraceous when dry, translucent when live, membranous when live, lanceolate to linear, base white, terminal part red, 1.3-2.7 cm long, 0.2-0.4 cm wide. Outer staminode 1.3 cm long, 0.7 cm wide, sometimes absent. Callose staminode obovate, bilobate, base red, 0.7-1 cm long, callus white. Cucullate staminode, base pilose, 0.70.9 cm long and 0.4-0.6 cm wide, appendix red. Style white, thin, translucent. Stigma white, curved. Ovary glabrous, 0.2 cm long. Capsule obovate, 0.7 NovoN 6: 385-388. 1996. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.47 on Sun, 17 Jul 2016 05:29:02 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms