FLORA OF MADAGASCAR. 103 
pilosis, floribus solitariis breviter pedunculatis, sepalis lanceolatis sericeis, 
petalis oblongisobtusis quam calyx paulobrevioribus, staminibus quam petala 
duplo brevioribus, antheris fertilibus 15 filamentis brevibus obscure con- 
natis, staminodiis lanceolatis, ovario piloso stigmatibus 5 magnis lingulatis. 
A tree, with thick ultimate branchlets, silky towards their 
tips. Petiole 1-1 in.; blade 5-6 in. long, 2-3 in. broad at the 
middle, subobtuse, narrowed from the middle to a rounded base, 
the 10-12-jugate strongly raised erecto-patent main veins with 
tufts of brown hairs in their axils on the under surface. Branch- 
lets in the specimens terminated by a pilose leafy bud, from the 
base of which springs a single densely pilose peduncle under 2 in. 
long. Sepals 5, acute, coriaceous, an inch long, densely brown- 
silky on the back. Petals purplish brown, oblong, obtuse, 4 in. 
broad, slightly silky outside. Anthers linear, J in. long, with 
short flattened filaments; staminodialanceolate, petaloid, brownish 
black, as long as the anthers. Ovary globose, densely pilose; 
Styles very short, pilose like the ovary; stigmas ascending, lin- 
gulate, 1 in. long.— Central Madagascar, Dr. Lyall 223 ! 
MELHANIA LAURIFOLIA, Bojer in Ann. Se. Nat. ser. 2, xviii. 
192. 
Arborea, ramulis lepidotis, foliis coriaceis integris obovato-oblongis 
obtusis, cymis compositis laxifloris pedunculatis, bracteolis nullis, sepalis 
parvis lanceolatis lepidotis, petalis deltoideo-cuneatis scariosis persisten- 
tibus, columna staminea brevissima, ovario globoso triloculari, stylis 
subulatis falcatis. 
A tree 30-40 feet high, with angled slender woody branchlets, 
coated with brown scales. Petiole 1-j in.; blade 2-4 in. long, 
1-1} in. broad, narrowed from the middle to a rounded base, 
obscurely lepidote on both sides, but not at all pilose, the fine 
main veins anastomosing in arches near the margin. Cymes 
lax, few-flowered, with long slender lepidote peduncles; pedicels 
sometimes 4 in. long. Sepals 5, coriaceous, lanceolate, acute, 
i in. long, also lepidote. Petals twice as long as the sepals, } in. 
broad, unsymmetrical, finally brown and scariose. Staminodes 5, 
erect, incurved, linear, 74; in. long, with a single fertile stamen 
between each, with a flattened free filament as long as the sub- 
orbicular anther. Ovary globose, sessile, lepidote like the calyx 
&c., with 3 faleate subulate styles as long as the ovary connate at 
the basc.-- Woods of the province of Imerina, gathered long ago 
by Bojer, and now sent by Baron (1325!) from the forest of An- 
drangaloaka by Dr. Parker. This is such a peculiar member of 
LINN. JOURN.—BOTANY, VOL. XX. L 
