MR. J. MIERS ON THE SYMPLOCACE^E. 291 



the calyx, enclosing a 3-5-locular osseous nut, each cell maturing 

 2 or more seeds : this shows that the genus approaches Symplocos. 



Piuealstonia, nob. — Alstonia, Linn . jil .{non B. Br.). — Symplocos 



plerrorumque auct. 



Flores hermaphroditi. Calyx parvus, turbinatus, imo in tubum brevem 

 ovario connatus ; limbus 5-dentatus, dentibus ovatis parvis persistenti- 

 bus,aestivatione quincuncialiter imbricatis. Corolla e petalis 8-10 aequi- 

 longis alternatim in series 2 dispositis, spathulatim oblongis, interiori- 

 bus angustioribus, imo in tubum brevissimum laxe coalitis, apicibus 

 reflexis. Stamina numerosa, in seriebus 3-4 gradatim longioribus im- 

 bricata, petala non excedentia ; filament a angustissime lineares, apice 

 in filum contracta, imo in orbem monadelphum tubo corollae accretum 

 coalita ; antherce globosse, 2-loculares, latere dehiscentes. Ovarium 

 inferum, 3-5-loculare, disco 5-tuberculato superatum ; stylus tenuis, 

 corollae aequilongus. Stigma crassum, obtuse 3-5-fidum. Drupa ob- 

 longa, dentibus calycinis discoque coronata, imo bracteolis imbricatis 

 cincta ; pericarpio subcarnoso. Nux conformis, ossea, 3-5-locularis, 

 dissepimentis crassis durissimis, axi centrali tenui, medullari, e vasis 

 nutrientibus farcto, loculis abortu monospermis. Semen suspensum ; 

 integumentum simplex, fuscum. Embryo anatropus, in albumino car- 

 tilagineo centralis, rectus; radicula supera, teres, elongata; coty- 

 ledones 2, parvae, obtusae, rotundatae, ad basin spectantes. 

 Arbores aut suffrutices, in America calidiore, plerumque Peruviana, 

 ramose ; folia alterna, elliptica, subserrata,petiolata. Flores plurimi, 

 in axillis plus minusve congesti, pluribracteolati. 



1. Pr^ealstonia THEiEroRMis,72o5. — Alstonia the»formis,Zwm. 



Suppl. p. 261 ; Lam. Diet. i. p. 95.— Symplocos Alstonia, If Rent. 

 Linn. Trans, i. p. 176 ; Willd, Spec. PI. iii. p. 1436 ; Bonpl. PI. 

 &quin. i. p. 181, tab. 51 ; H. B. K. iii. p. 257 ; Pers. Syn. ii. p. 74 ; 



Prodr. viii. p. 247. In Nov. Granada: nonvidi. 



2. P. OCTOPETALA,ft0&. 



106 



Will 



P. 74 ; A. DC. I. c. p. 249 ; Zunan, Hort. Jam. ii. p. 221. In 

 Jamaica : non vidi. 



3. P. akecuea, nob. 



Hi 



WHId. I c. p. 1435 ; Bonpl. I. c. p. 197 ; G. Don, Diet. iv. p. 2 ; 

 4- DC. I c. p. 250. In Peruvia : non vidi. 



4. P. cocci>ea, nob.— Symplocos coccinea, Bonpl. I c. p. 85, 

 tab. 52 ; //. B. K. I. c. p. 258 ; A. DC I. c. p. 249. In Mexico, 

 prope Xalapam : non vidi. 



