MR. O. BENTHAM ON BIXACE.E AND SAMTDACE^. 83 



been better defined by Bennett, Clos, Grisebach and others, and 

 is readily known by its very much imbricated, usually reflexed 

 sepals without petals, short anthers, subulate entire style, and 

 many-ovulated placentas. In two species the stamens are much 

 fewer in number, and on the supposition that there were ten only, 

 these plants were both referred by Poeppig to Samyda ; and Grise- 

 bach, perceiving their discrepancy from the latter genus, proposes 

 for their reception a new one under the name of Casinga, but with- 

 out comparing them to Loetia. Sagot, however, has more correctly, 

 in the sets of Cayenne plants he is distributing, labelled one of 

 them as a new Lcetia. I find in both of them the stamens varying 

 m number from 10 to 15 or even more, and not uniseriate as in 

 Samyda and its allies, nor yet so decidedly perigynous, although in 

 all Lcetias their insertion is somewhat ambiguous, between hypo- 

 gynous and perigynous. 



The fruit of the genus is described by Martius as an indehiscent 

 berry, by Grisebach as having the pericarp drupaceous and de- 

 hiscent. I have seen it only in a few species, and then not always 

 quite ripe. It appears, as in Casearia, to vary much in different 

 species, in size as well as in succulence ; in some it is decidedly 

 3-valved, at least at the top, in others it grows much larger and 

 shows no sign of dehiscence. Two species have the bracts at the 

 base of the pedicel united into a curious almost fleshy, truncate 

 cup, which made me, in naming Spruce's plants, hesitate whether 

 I should not consider them as a distinct genus ; but I now find 

 that a similar arrangement of the bracts is observable, though in 

 a less degree, in several other Bixaceae and Samydacea?. 



The following are the species hitherto published or known to 

 me: — 



* Folia membranacea, scepe punctata. Sepala corallina. 



1. L. Thamnia, Sw., Griseb. Fl. Brit. W. Ind. p. 20. 

 Hab. West Indies. 



2. L. apetala, Jacq., Mart. Nov. Gen. et Sp. ii. p. 78. 1. 165. Foliis 

 ovato- v. obovato-oblongis obtusis, pedunculis subtrifloris, ovario 

 glabro. 



Hab. Tropical America. 



To the localities given by Jacquin, Humboldt, and Martius, may be added, 

 on the Rio Camude, in the province of Piauhy, Brazil, Gardner, n. 231 2, 

 udging from specimens in fruit only. 



3. L. corymbulosa, R. Spruce, PI. Exs. n. 159.9. Foliis oblongis ellip- 

 ticisve acuminatis serrulatis membranaceis glabris, pedunculis 2-3- 



G 2 



