Main | Family List (MO) | Family List (INBio) | Cutting Edge Draft Treatments | Guidelines | Checklist | Citing | Editors The Cutting Edge Volume XX, Number 4, October 2013 News and Notes | Leaps and Bounds | Germane Literature | Season's Pick SEASON'S PICK: These excellent photos of the uncommon Hamelia rovirosae Wernham (Rubiaceae), taken by Manual collaborator José González (LSCR), provide our primary choice for this season's photo essay.  The sp., and others of note, was found in a remnant patch of forest on the Llanura de San Carlos (for more information on the forest patch, see under “News and Notes”). Photos and voucher: J. González 11686 Since José had recently provided us with other fine photos of interesting spp. from this same area, and co-PI Nelson Zamora (INB) independently sent us equally fine shots of others from Boca Tapada and nearby, we decided to provide footage of them all under the theme "Forest Islands in the Llanura-de-San-Carlos Banana Sea." Although none of these is from along the new road being built and rebuilt up along the Río San Juan, we have pending (in our minds) that an excursion to that extreme northern part of the Llanura (Provincia de Heredia) would be fruitful, as it is one of the most isolated and neglected parts of the country (in more ways than just botanical!).  For more information on most of the spp. below, see "Leaps and Bounds" as well as "News and Notes." Photos of the following two spp. were provided by José, from his forest patch to the northeast of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí. Diospyros sp. (Ebenaceae). Voucher:  J. González 11661 Aspidogyne tuerckheimii (Schltr.) Garay (Orchidaceae). Voucher:  J. González 11662 And the following are from Nelson's recent trips to the Boca Tapada and Coopevega de Cutris areas. Voucher: Zamora 6507 Voucher: Zamora 6523 LEFT.  Apodanthes caseariae Poit. (Apodanthacee), a parasite found in Costa Rica almost exlusively on Casearia arborea (Rich.) Urb. (Salicaceae, AKA Flacourtiaceae in Manualese).  This rarely collected sp. appears to be locally common in a few places in the country.  RIGHT.  Hirtella racemosa Lam. var. racemosa (Chrysobalanaceae) in Costa Rica is known only from the Caribbean lowlands, and is in any case relatively rare.  It is distinguished from var. hexandra (Willd. ex Roem. & Schult.) Prance, the only other var. known from Costa Rica, by its somewhat larger leaf blades that are often cordate to rounded (vs. cuneate) at the base.  This latter var., the most frequently collected Hirtella in Costa Rica, is mostly found on the Pacific slope and most often in drier or at least more seasonal forests.  All things considered, these two vars. might reasonably be treated as different spp. here. Perebea guianensis Aubl. (Moraceae) Voucher: Zamora 6525 Cupania scrobiculata Rich. (Sapindaceae).  Voucher: Zamora 6510 Alrededores de Boca Tapada TOP