80 MR. G. BEXTHAM ON BTXACE.E ATSD SAMYDACE.E. 



and Asia as well as in its native American continent, appears to 

 have established several more or less permanent varieties, differ- 

 ing in the form of the leaves, the size and colour of the flowers, the 

 naked or muricate capsules, &c. ; several of which varieties have 

 been proposed as distinct species, which we would agree with Clos 

 in rejecting. There may be more doubt respecting the second and 

 more rare species adopted by Clos, B. platycarpa, Euiz and Pav., 

 from Peru, New Grenada, and Central America, in which the fruit 

 is depressed, globular or reniform, and always very obtuse or flat 

 at the top, not acute as in JB. Orellana. We have no materials 

 sufficient to judge how far these characters may correspond with 

 any differences in the flowers. See Clos in ' Ann. Sc. Nat. Par.,' 

 Ber. 4, viii. p. 260. 



Oitcoba, ForsJc. 



We have nothing to add to the synonymy and enumeration of 

 species of this genus given by Planchon in a note to the above- 

 mentioned paper. (Hook. ' Lond. Journ. Bot.' vi. p. 295.) 



Matka, Aubl. 



Considerable confusion as to the circumscription and species of 

 this genus has arisen, partly from the errors which had crept into 

 Aublet's original character and figure, partly from the similarity 

 of the male flowers, by far the most common in our herbaria, in 

 the two genera Mayna and Carpotroche. The female flowers are 

 readily distinguishable, the placentae appear never to be more than 

 three in the true Maynas, the styles are completely united, and 

 the characteristic tubercles or spines of the fruit may be seen 

 already on the scarcely enlarged ovary. The genus is entirely 

 Tropical- American ; it includes Lindackeria of Presl, and consists, 

 as far as hitherto known, of the following seven species : — 



* Staminum Jilamenta basi in columnam conniventia. 



1. M. odorata, Aubl. PI. Gui. p. 921. t. 352. 

 Hab. Guiana. 



Of this I have seen no specimen precisely answering to Aublet's figure 

 as to foliage and inflorescence. 



2. M. latifolia (Lindackeria latifolia, Benth. in Kew. Journ. Bot. hi. 

 p. 118). 



Hab. North Brazil, near Obidos, on the Amazon, 7?. Spruce. 



** Staminum Jilamenta laxiora. 



3. M. paxitdosa, Benth. in Hook. Journ. Bot. iv.p.U4. Capsula 1 poll- 



