Shrubs up to 2 meters high; stems subquadrangular, at least the upper portions densely pilose, the hairs whitish, spreading or some- what retrorse, up to 2 mm. long; leaf blades oblong-elliptic, up to 29 cm. long and 8 cm. wide, subacuminate, narrowed from about the middle to a winged petiole, entire or undulate, rather thin, the upper surface sparingly pilose, the hairs up to 1.5 mm. long, densely pilose beneath especially on the costa and lateral veins (about 22 pairs), the hairs whitish, spreading or ascending; petioles (unwinged por- tion) 5 to 10 mm. long, the winged portion 6 to 7 cm, long, both densely pilose; spikes up to 5 or more in number, terminal and subterminal, 5 to 10 cm. long, 2 cm. broad, the rachis densely pilose; bracts ascend- ing, light brown, rhombic, about 18 mm. long and 9 mm. wide, densely pilose, entire or bearing 1 or 2 pairs of minute ascending teeth, the glandular area consisting usually of 5 to 20 elliptical ocelli 0.75 mm. long and barely 0.5 mm. wide, these dark brown, conspicuous against the light brown of the bract; bractlets narrowly lanceolate, carinate, 16 mm. long, 3 mm. wide near base, densely pilose without, the hairs ascending; calyx 19 mm. long, the segments lanceolate, the posterior one 5.5 mm. wide at about the middle, the anterior pair 3.5 mm. wide, the lateral pair 3 mm. wide, all indurate and glabrous or nearly so to about 5 mm. from base, upper portions densely pilose; corollas bright red, rather sparingly puberulous, 6 cm. long, the tube 3 cm. long, 6 mm. broad at base, contracted at tip of ovary to 3 mm., thence grad- ually expanded to 7 mm. at mouth, the lips erect, about equal, 3 cm. long, the posterior lip about 8 mm. wide at basal part of the 2 lobes, these lanceolate, 17 mm. long, 5 mm. wide at middle, slenderly acu- minate, spreading, the lower lip 3-lobed, the middle lobe free to base, oblong-lanceolate, 33 mm. long, 7 mm. wide at about the middle, the lateral lobes triangular, 8 mm. long, 2.5 mm, wide near the base, acute, their upper margins adhering in part to the upper lip; stamens 5 cm. long, the filaments glabrous, the anthers 6.5 mm. long, adhering at tip, dorsally pubescent; style about 5.5 cm. long, glabrous; capsules not seen. Type in the U. S. National Herbarium, No. 1708677, collected near a stream in forest above Manaure, Department of Magdalena, Colom- bia, 800 meters altitude, January 16, 1944, by Oscar Haught (No. 3945).
CUNDINAMARCA: Guaduas, Triana (Col, NY). Road between Guaduas and Alto de Aguaclara, at the Hacienda Paramillo, Garcia-Barriga 12323 (US). SANTANDER: Santa Bárbara, Kalbreyer 794 (K). TOLIMA: Between El Líbano and Murillo, Alto de Peñones, Garcia-Barriga 12268 (US). Aphelandra lasia is related to A. deppeana but can be separated easily from that by its light brown (in herbarium material), densely pilose bracts with their few (if any) minute teeth (up to 1 mm. high). The bracts of A. deppeana are much smaller (8 to 15 mm. long instead of 18 mm.) and their teeth more numerous and conspicuous (up to 1.5 mm. long). The type differs slightly from the other specimens cited above in having fewer ocelli (5-10), less well developed bract teeth (some of the bracts actually entire), and in the somewhat smaller leaf blades, but agrees in general appearance. The name lasia, Xários, shaggy, alludes to the heavy pilosity of the leaves and spikes. Kalbroyer's label bears the following data: "Aphelandra sp. shrub 15' with long straggling branches; leaf herb., rough woolly; fl. bright red; forest border, moist slopes, banks, 5500', S. Bárbara 6/11/78."