48 MB. G. BENTIIAM ON MENISPEBMACEjE. 



and more coriaceous leaves with less prominent veins than the 

 original specimens of his A. Schomburgkii ; but others again, both 

 of Schomburgk's later collections and of Spruce's, connect them 

 too gradually to keep them any longer distinct. I have not seen 

 the A. nitidum, Miers, from the Organ Mountains, but Sello's 

 specimens from the same province of Rio Janeiro are in no man- 

 ner to be distinguished from A. SchomburgTcii, except in the some- 

 what larger size of the leaves. The following is a short descrip- 

 tion of the species : — 



A. Schomburgkii, Miers (A. Hostmanni, Miers, an etiam A. nitidum 

 Miers?). Scandens, glabrum v. ramulis infloresceutiisque minute 

 puberulis. Folia petiolata, oblonga, obtuse acuminata, 2-4-pollicaria, 

 rigide coriacea, nitida, basi tenuiter 3-nervia, pennivenia et reticulato- 

 venulosa, venis tamen omnibus tenuibus et interdum parum conspi- 

 cuis. Pedunculi solitarii v. superposite 2-3-ni, 1-3-flori, 3-6 lin. 

 longi, nunc supra-axillares, nunc in racemos axillares laxos, plus minus 

 elongatos dispositi. Alabastra globosa, circa 2 lin. diametro ; flores 

 aperti circa 4 lin., albidi v. pallide flavicantes. Sepala 6 ; 3 exteriora 

 parva, cordata, 3 interiora multo majora, orbiculata. Petala 6, sepalis 

 inulto breviora, crasso-carnosa, stamina singulatim involventia, in 

 discum planum triangularem, 6-areolatum conferta. Fl. $ , stamina 6 

 petalis longiora, antberarura loculis versus apicem divergentibus. 

 Fl. <j>, stamina 6, sterilia. Carpella 3. Stigmata ovata, patentia. 

 Drupse ovoideo-oblongse, styli cicatrice terminate. Putamen rectum, 

 endocarpio ad ventrem in laminam verticalem membranaceam in- 

 trorso. Semen oblongum, ad faciera interiorem sulcatum, laminam 

 endocarpii fovens. Albumen laminis horizontalibus ruminatum. 

 Embryo tereti-compressus, albuminis fere longitudine, rectus. Radi- 

 cula supera. cotyledonibus appressis. 



Hab. British Guiana (near Pirara), Rob. Schomburgk, 1st coll. n. 833, 

 2nd coll. n. 8.91 ; Rich. Schomburgk, n. 1499; Surinam, Hostmann, 

 n. 1298; on the Rio Uaupes in N. Brazil, R. Spruce, n. 2563 ; in the 

 province of Rio Janeiro, Sello. 



Abuxa, Aubl. 



I have already alluded to the confusion which has arisen in this 

 genus from the mismatching male and female specimens, and which 

 still prevails as to the limitation of the species. Grisebach mentions 

 two as occupying each a A-ide geographical area. Our herbaria 

 appear to comprise four or five, and it is probable that there are 

 some others amongst the Brazilian Cocculi shortly described in 

 Martius's ' Herbarium Flora Brasiliensis.' The following are those 



