GENERA OF THE OLACACE^J. 127 



justify this conclusion by evidence founded on my own observa- 

 tions upon the living plants, made many years ago. These closely 

 allied genera may be united into a distinct tribe (Arjonese), the 

 distinguishing character of which is that each flower is supported 

 upon a calycle, which, though sometimes small, is always dis- 

 tinguishable. 



Myoschilos. 



This genus of the ' Flora Peruviana,' little known and less un- 

 derstood, was established in 1794 by Ruiz and Pavon, under some 

 misconception ; for at first* they described its fruit as crowned by 

 the persistent perianth, a mistake repeated by every succeeding 

 botanist ; afterwards they corrected this error, delineating it as 

 surmounted by a ring of 5 acute teeth t. I have still the original 

 analysis of the fruit, made 57 years ago ; and many specimens of 

 this fruit are still preserved. Upon good data, therefore, the 

 following diagnosis of the genus is given. 



Myoschilos, JR. $f P. Char, emendatus. 



Calyculus imo hemisphaericus, latere externo in lamellam acuminatam 

 productus. Calyx ei insitus, bisepalus, parvus, cum calyculo immu- 

 tatus et persistens. Corolla tubulosa, carnosula, purpurea; tubus 

 campanulato-cylindricus, imo ad ovarium arete adglutinatus, supra 

 medium 4-5-partitus ; segmenla acute oblonga, carnosula, patentim 

 reflexa, aestivatione valvata, paullo sub apicem ungue mucroniformi 

 extus munita, serius decidua. Stamina 4-5, segmentis opposita aequi- 

 longa ; filament a subulata, erecta, e margine disci orta, glabra ; anther <b 

 ovatae, 2-loculares, sine connectivo, antice dehiscentes. Discus epigy- 

 nus, carnosus, conice convexus. Stylus subulatus. . Stigmata 3, mi- 

 nuta, divaricata. Ovarium obovatum, basi corollae vestitum, disco 

 coronatum, 1-loculare. Ovula3, apice placentae liberae filiformis sus- 

 pensa. Drupa baccata, ovata, apice styli vestigio et linea circnlari (e 

 margine disci) notata ; nux conformis, testacea, 1-locularis, mono- 

 sperma ; semen loculum implens, e placenta nunc laterali cum ovulis 

 abortivis suspensum ; integumenta nulla ; albumen carnosum album ; 

 embryo axilis, hoc brevior; radicula teres, supera; cotyledones 2 y 

 parvae, compresse orbiculares multoties breviores. 



Arbuscula subhumilis Chilensis, valde ramosa; rami subvirgati, sub- 

 breves, iterum iterumque ramulosi, glabri ; folia tarde devoluta, par- 

 vula, oblongo-ovata ; flores spicati, pracociter ante folia evoluti, 

 minimi, amentiformi-imbricati. 



* Prodromus, p. 41, and tab. 34. § 3. fig. 7. 

 t Pi Per. iii. p. 20, tab. 242 a. fig. 5. 



