Protologue Description: Lamax cuyacensis N. W Sawyer & S. Leiva, sp. nov. TYPE: Peru. Piura: Ayabaca, Mpio. of Yacupampa. 8 km NE of Ayabaca above Las Cuyas, in quebrada. 4°37'S, 79°42'W, 2600 m, 6 June 1997, N. W. Sawyer 797 (holotype MO; isotypes. CONN. HAO, NY).

Species nova L. glabrae affinis. a qua corolla rotata carnosiora subviolacea, calyce fructifero adpresso arcte baccae, seminibus paucioribus differt.

Shrub or small tree, 0.8-5 m tall. Stems purple with Branchlets strongly or weakly flexuous; nodes often swollen, glabrate; young stems sparsely puberulent. Leaves membranous, occasionally paired, elliptic, somewhat falcate, the apex acuminate the base oblique, cuneate-attenuate, 4.5-10.5 X 1.3-4 cm, glabrous below and on the veins, sparsely puberulent above and along margins with multicellular, simple or occasionally branched, non-glandular hairs 0.3-1.8 mm long, leaves glabrate. Petiole -0.2-l.8 cm long, glabrous. Inflorescence axillary; flowers 3 to 6 per node in fascicles from a much reduced peduncle to 1.5 mm long and adnate to the stem. Flowers somewhat pendent or perpendicular to the stem on glabrate pedicels 3-12 mm long. Flowering calyx green with purple veins, glabrate, ca. 5 mm 1ong, ca. 4 mm diam., with subulate lobes 1-1.2 mm long. Corolla campanulaterotate, pale violet, somewhat fleshy, 2-3 mm wide at the base, 11-12.5 mm long, sparsely to moderately puberulent externally with non-glandular and branched hairs and sessile glands, the interior puberulent with 11-33 non-glandular hairs/mm², the tube 6-7 mm long, the lobes narrowly triangular, flared at anthesis, 5-6.5 mm long. Stamens exserted from the corolla tube, slightly exserted from the corolla limb. Filaments sparsely puberulent at their base with non-glandular hairs, the free portion 4.5-5.5 mm long, adnate to the basal quarter of the corolla tube and there broadened and thickened forming a stamen petalum, the bases separated by the corolla vasculature, the adnate portion 1-1.5 mm long. Anthers dorsifixed, white, ovate-elliptic, occurring in two or three size arrays, 2-2.3 X 1.2-1.5 mm, the bases of thecae connivent, calcium oxalate crystals occurring as druses in pollen sacs. Pollen echinate. Ovary glabrous. conical, ca. 1.5 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm diam., ringed basally by a nectary. Style glabrous, to ca. 9 mm long at anthesis, exserted prior to anthesis; stigma clavate. Fruiting pedicels glabrate, ca. 14 mm long. Fruiting calyx accrescent, tightly investing the fruit, open at the apex, greenish white with purple veins, globose, ca. 10 mm long, ca. 11 mm diam., sparsely puberulent externally, the interior with scattered sessile glands and 2-celled stalked glands with unicellular heads; lobes shallowly triangular-subulate, 0.6-1.2 mm long, of unequal lengths. Fruit a berry, immature berry cream, globose, 9-10 mm diam.; seeds ca. 12, 2.7-3.1 mm diam.

Paratypes. PERU. Piura: Montaña de Cuyas. 8 km NE of Ayabaca de 4°32’S. 79°44’W. 2400-2410 m.; Sep. 1991 (fr), Gentry et al. 75121 (MO); Ayabaca, Yacapampa, May 1971 (bd, fl, fr) López et al. 7722 (NY); Ayabaca Las Cuyas, 2580 m. June 1997 (bd, fl, fr), Sawyer 799 (CONN).