374 MR. J. MIERS ON MOQUILEA. 



transverse section. It is solid for some distance within the peri- 

 phery, and across it an indistinct line shows where the margins of 

 the two cotyledons are there agglutinated together, while in the 

 centre it is hollow, where the cotyledons are free from one another ; 

 a minute inferior radicle is hidden in the base of the cotyledons. 

 The new species mentioned in the title may be thus described : 



Moqttilea orgakensis, nob. Eamulis glabris, subtenuibus: 

 foliis elliptico-oblongis, imo repente acutis, et in petiolo subde- 

 currentibus, apice in acumen acutum subito contractis,subcoriaceis, 

 supra pallide ferrugineis, nervis immersis, subtus fere concoloribus, 

 nervis fuscis adscendentibus costaque prominentibus, venis trans- 

 vergim reticulars, undique glabris, nisi in junioribus, unde pilis 

 mollibus luteo-albis sparse pubescentibus, petiolis canaliculars 

 limbo 12-15plo brevioribus : racemis axillaribus, subremote alter- 

 natim spicatis, puberulis ; floribus parvis, aggregatis, sessilibus : 

 drupa sicca, majuscula, late obovata, convexa, vix compressa, imo 

 breviter stipitata, calyce 5-dentato persistente et fere immutato 

 suffulta, l-locu]aris, monosperma ; seminis structura illse Moqitilece 

 Turiuvce valde analoga. In montibus Organensibus: v. v. et sicca 

 in herb, meo 4095. 



I found this plant in February 1838. It has much the habit 

 of Moquilea Turiuvce. Its slender branches are glabrous; its 

 leaves, £ inch apart, are 3^—4^ inches long, including the acumen 



of 6 lines, f-1^ inch broad, on channelled petioles 3 lines long ; 

 spikes of the inflorescence ^-f inch apart, 1^ inch broad, supported 

 on a bare peduncle ^ inch long ; flowers in bud f-1 line in dia- 

 meter ; drupe 1^ inch long, 1 inch broad, 9 lines thick in the 

 cross direction, rounded at the summit, suddenly narrowed at its 

 base for the length and breadth of nearly 2 lines, where it is 

 seated in the persistent calyx ; the pericarp is opaque, minutely 

 roughened, 2 lines thick, formed of reticulated ligneous fibres, is 

 hard : the seed fills the cell, is covered N by a brownish red polished 

 testa, marked by prominent nervures corresponding with the 

 branches of the imbedded raphe ; it is 11 lines long, 8 lines broad. 

 When the opening of the pericarp is properly managed, the testa 



may be split so as to show the imbedded beautifully snow-white 

 raphe in a fine network of anastomosing spiral vessels, occupying 

 an area of nearly half a square inch. The exalbuminous embryo, 

 nearly as long as the testa, is oblong, obtuse, subcompressed j 

 formed of two thick fleshy cotyledons agglutinated together at 



