ME. O. BENTIIAM ON BIXACE^E AND SAMYDACEjE. 89 



Osmelia being there described ; yet the latter name has undoubt- 

 edly the right of priority. The three species may be distinguished 

 as follows : — 



1. O. philippinensis. Foliis (4-6-pollicaribus) longiuscule petio- 

 latis basi acutatis 3-nerviis, racemis gracilibus axillaribus subramosis, 

 floribus 4-fidis 8-antheris. — Stachycrater philippensis, Turczan. Bull. 

 Mosq. 1859. 



Hab. Philippine Islands, Cuming, n. 1685. 



2. O. conferta. Foliis (4-5-pollicaribus) brevius petiolatis basi rotun- 

 datis penninerviis v. irregulariter 3-nerviis, racemis axillaribus sub- 

 ramosis folio brevioribus, floribus 4-fidis 10-antheris. — Flores quam 

 in praecedente majores confertiores. Sepala linea sublongiora, late 

 orbiculata. 



Hab. Philippine Islands, Cuming, n. 1741. 



I opened six flowers, in all of which I found the 10 stamens and stami- 

 nodia, with only 4 sepals, as in some Casearias. 



3. O. Gardneri, Thw. Enum. PL Zeyl. p. 20. Foliis (2-4-pollicari- 

 bus) basi acutatis penniveniis, racemis elongatis in panicula terminali 

 divaricatis, floribus 5-fidis 10-antheris. 



Hab. Ceylon, Gardner, n. 193, Thwaites, n. 1246. 



LuNANIA, Hook. 



Placed hitherto among Bixaceae, this genus offered several 

 remarkable anomalies, especially in the definite stamens inserted 

 on a cupular disk, which appeared to have nothing analogous in 

 the Order. The additional species, however, now known fully 

 explain the nature of this disk, showing that it is formed of the 

 union of the scales or staminodia of Samydese, and that Lunania 

 is in fact closely allied to Osmelia, of which it has also the habit 

 and inflorescence. The chief generic distinction consists in the 

 calyx, which, as in some Pangieae, is quite entire and globular 

 before flowering, and then divides into 2, or rarely 3, broad con- 

 cave valvate sepals. The union of the staminodia with the base 

 of the stamens in a cupular or shortly tubular disk, occurs also, 

 as already observed, in Casearia guidonia (G. brevipes, Benth. ; 

 Ouidonia spinescens, Griseb.) ; but in that species the stamens 

 appear to be inserted slightly within its crenatures, whilst in Lu- 

 nania they are rather external. In Lunania divaricata the disk- 

 lobes and stamens are almost as much in a single series as in 

 Osmelia. 



The following are the species of Lunania now known : — 



