146 MR. G. BENTHAM ON INOCARPUS, 
lobis ejus patulis calycem subzequantibus; corolle tubus 9"', lobi 8" 
longi, 2-3"' lati; capsula oblongo-lanceolata, glutinoso-nitens, fere. 
sesquipolliearis. 
Hab. In montibus S. Cataline Cube orientalis. 
m V 
On Inocarpus.* By Gzonor BrwTHAM, Esq., P.L.S. 
[ Read Feb. 20, 1862.] 
Amonast the plants sent in 1836 from British Guiana by Sir 
Robert (then Mr.) Schomburgk were some specimens which, he 
informed me, were gathered from a most beautiful tree, almost 
covered with bright-yellow flowers, and called by the natives Eta- 
bally, on account of its frequency at the cataracts of that name on 
the Essequebo. Recognizing in them the general characters of 
Leguminose of the suborder Cæsalpinieæ, but with many differ- 
ences from all published genera of that group, I described them 
in Hooker's * Journal of Botany,’ ii. p. 99, as a new genus, under 
the name of Htaballia; and some years afterwards, Dr. Hooker 
figured it for me in Hooker's * Icones, t. 453, 454. At the same 
time, I found amongst some unnamed specimens from the Isle of 
St. Vincent’s one so closely resembling the Etaballia in general 
foliage, inflorescence, calyx, and petals, that, although I could not 
then dissect the flowers, I thought I might venture to allude to 
it as a second species, to which I gave the name of E. macrophylla. 
This, however, proved to be a cultivated specimen of Inocarpus 
edulis; and as that genus had been described with characters 
totally incompatible with Leguminose, and had been referred either 
to Sapotacez or to Hernandie:e, I laid it aside without further ex- 
amination, vexed at having brought together into one genus plants 
belonging to such very different orders. Recently, however, Dr. 
Hooker and myself had occasion to examine Znocarpus, of which 
we have now very complete flowering specimens from the South 
Pacifie Islands, as well as from various tropical botanical gardens ; 
and we found that the received account of the structure of the ovary 
is in some important respects erroneous, and that the genus is in 
fact, as it is in appearance, closely allied to Etaballia, and must be 
placed next to it in Leguminose, notwithstanding the gamopeta- 
lous corolla. 'The union indeed of the petals at their base, or 
rather by their claws, is but little more than that which occurs in 
most Trifoliums, in several Mimoses, &c. ; the ten monadelphous 
stamens are such as are frequent in Leguminose ; and the ovary 
is characteristie of that order, this being perhaps the only organ 
by which Leguminos# can be always recognized through all their 
