264 M. COEKEA DE MELIiO OK MTEOCABPUS FKOKDOSUS. 



marginem disci extra stamina inserta, in alabastro vix imbricata, summo 

 intimo, cseteris vane imbricatis. Stamina 10, libera; filamenta (in 

 alabastro baud incurva) subulata, alba, glabra, quorum 5 altema citius 

 evoluta jam ad coroUse explicationem exserta, dum altera 5 vix ad 

 marginem ealycis attingens, hsec tamen sensim accreta demum priora 

 longitudine sequant; antherse flavse, stamiuum primum evolutorum 

 late ovatse, ca;terum late obovatse ; poUinis granular oblongae, utrin- 

 que obtussc, sulco longitudinali notatae. Ovarium in fundo ealycis 

 stipitatum. — Arbor folia tempore sestatis dimittens, mense Augusto 

 ante foliorum evolutionem florens. Flores odore grato, racemosi; 

 pedicelli basi bractea parva late ovate-subtriangulari acuta, pri- 

 mum membranacea mox scariosa fulti; bracteolse 0. Racemi cylin- 

 drici, recti, erecti, solitarii v. 2-3-ni (2-5-ni ex Allemao), alterni, pe- 

 dunculo communi brevi inserti, paniculam parvam formantes, his ad 

 apicem ramulorum v. supra cicatrices foliorum delapsorum sitis, 

 sajpe in ramorum parte superiore numerosis approxiraatis, paniculam 

 amplam simulantibus. Florum evolutio ssepe ab apice basin versus 

 racemi progreditur, sa^peque gemma; rami cujusdam magni omnes flo- 

 riferse sunt nee folium ullum evolvitur. 



Prom incisions made in the trunk of this tree issues a balsam, at 

 first transparent, of a yellow colour, and of an aroma not very 

 sweet and somewhat terebinthine ; but by exposure to the air it 

 assumes a red colour and a fragrant aroma, and is indubitably the 

 balsam '* Cabure-icica " mentioned by Piso, *De Medicina Brasili- 

 ensi,' lib. 4, cap. v. p. 57, and by Martius, * Syst. Nat. Med. 

 Veget. Bras.' 115. 



This Myrocarpus^ in its botanic properties and the odour of all 

 its parts, resembling those of the corresponding parts oiMyroxyhn 

 peruiferwm, Linn., has great affinity with the genus MyroxyJon. 

 Bentham and Hooker (Gen. PL i. 559), who could not ascertain 

 the aestivation of the corolla from not having seen it in bud, ob- 

 serve the affinity of Myrocarpus on the one hand with Sweetia, 

 and on the other with Sclerolobivm ; but, considering that the 

 structure of the calyx is rather that of the Sopliorece than of the 

 Ccdsalpiniece^ they place the genus in the suborder Papilionoce<s 

 and the tribe Sophorecd. But as the upper petal is, as above 

 mentioned, always inside in estivation, it appears beyond doubt 

 that Myrocarpus must be removed to the suborder CwsalpiniecB and 

 the tribe SclerolobiecEy which comprises species with imparipin- 

 nate leaves like those of Myrocarpus, In the tribe it would be 

 placed next to Pceppigia^ which contains species in which the 

 calyx-lobes are united above the disk. 



J. COKREA 1)£ MeLLO. 



