MB. J. MIERS ON MOQUILEA. 371 





Notes on MoquilecL/with. the Description of a new Species. 

 Bv John Miers. F.K.S.. F.L.S.. Ac. D 



Ord. Bras. Kosae. 



[Read April 3, 1879.] 



Licania differs from Moquilea more widely than has been sus- 

 pected ; for the two genera have been often confounded together. 

 In their floral structure a notable difference exists. In Licania 

 one half of the stamens are fertile and unilateral, the rest are 

 anantherous, and all are seated consecutively upon the margin of 

 an elevated membranaceous deciduous ring. On the other hand, 

 in Moquilea the stamens vary in number in the several species, 

 are altogether free and distinct to their base, uniserially seated in 

 the mouth of the short calyx and most frequently exserted, 

 all bearing versatile anthers, their number varying from 40 

 to 5. 



It is, however, in the different organization of the fruit and seed 

 that the greatest difference exists between the two genera. 



The fruit of Licania, according to Aublet, at first very thick 

 and fleshy, becomes hard and ligneous ; in the fresh state the 

 pericarp is lined with a white fleshy coating, which is edible and 

 of a sweet taste ; it is 13 lines long, 7 lines in diameter ; it is fur- 

 nished within with rigid hairs (filandreux) : the fleshy lining 

 vanishes in drying ; and it then adheres firmly to the nucleus, 

 which is unilocular and monospermous, of a pointed oval shape, 

 G lines long, 3 lines broad, is osseous and contains a dicotyledo- 

 nous embryo. 

 * The fruits in other species of Licania are variously described 

 by Mr. Bentham, and perhaps denote the existence of several yet 

 undefined genera. In one species the fruit is obovate, pyriform, 

 ligneo-coriaceous, containing an erect seed with a membranaceous 

 testa, with an embryo having thick fleshy plano-convex cotyle- 

 dons*. My analysis of Licania prismatocarpaf may serve to 

 throw additional light on the subject. 



Here the fruit is pentagonally cylindrical, subcostate at the 

 angles, falcately attenuated and incurved at the base, obtusely 

 pointed at the summit ; including the stipitiform base it is 13 lines 



* Gen. Plant, i. p. 006. t Flor. Bras. fase. 42, p. 19. 



