148 HIPPOCRATEACEjE. 



LIY. HIPPOCRATEACEiE. 



Calgx 5-fid. Petals 5. Stamens 3, inserted on the inside of a large disc. Ovary 

 3 -celled : styles cohering below : ovules definite, ascending. Embryo exalbuminons. — Woody 

 plants ; leaves simple, opposite, stipulate ; inflorescence axillary. 



The oily seed of Hippocratea comosa is eatable, and so are the berries of Salacia. 



1. HIPPOCRATEA., L. 



Anthers transversely dehiscent : cells confluent. Carpids at length separated, striated, 

 leathery, navicular-compressed, medianicidal-bivalved : seeds attached to their base, usually 

 by means of an elongated, inferior wing. — Shrubs, usually climbing ; leaves glabrous in the 

 West Indian species ; panicles or cymes dichotornous, peduncled. 



1 . II. scandens, Jacq. Leaves elliptical or oblong, serrulate ; cymes, rusty-pruinose, 

 exceeded by the leaves : divisions distant ; petals obovate, small ; carpids spathulate-oblong, 

 emarginate at the top. — Jacq. Amer. Pict. t. 12. — H. volubilis, L. H. obcordata, Lam. — 

 A climbing shrub : petals greenish-yellow, li'"long; disc obtusely conical; filaments short; 

 carpids H"-2^" long, 8"' broad : seeds 4-6. — Hab. Caribbean Islands; [Haiti, Martinique ; 

 Panama !, New Granada !]. 



2. H. ovata, Lam. Leaves elliptical-oblong, serrulate; panicles rusty-velutinous, 

 usually exceeding the leaves : special cymes distant; petals oblong, small ; carpids oval, or 

 oval-roundish, rounded at the top. — Lam. III. t. 28./. 2. Desc. Fl. 4. t. 290. — H. volu- 

 bilis, Su>. H. laevigata, Rich. H. discolor, Mey.f — A climbing shrub; petals V" longj 

 disc and filaments as in the preceding ; carpids li" long, 1" broad : seeds about 4. — Hab. 

 Jamaica (Robins.) ; Trinidad !, Pd. ; [Cuba ! to Guiana !, Panama !, New Granada !, Rio 

 Negro !] . 



3. H. scutellata, Gr. (». sp.). Leaves oval-oblong, quite entire ; cymes hoary- veluti- 

 nous, twice exceeded by the leaves ; flowers enlarged by the broad, depressed disc : petal- 

 limb roundish ; carpids obovate-oblong, or ovoid-oblong, rounded at both ends. — Branches 

 puberulous or glabrate ; leaves 3"-4" long, shortly apiculate, rounded at both ends : petiole 

 thickish, 3'" long, puberulous ; cymes usually contracted, as long as their peduncle ; flowers 

 5"'-6"' diam. ; calyx-lobes ovate, pointed, half as long as the petals ; petals l£"'-2"' diam., 

 shortly and broadly clawed : limb lacerate on the margin ; disc orbicular-depressed, scutelli- 

 form with an involute-erect margin, pubescent, 2"' diam. : stamens inserted into its centre ; 

 filaments linear, divergent, 1'" long : anthers minute, roundish, with confluent cells ; carpids 

 H" long, 9'" broad.— Hab. Trinidad !, Pd., Lockh.; [Guiana!]. 



4. H. comosa, Su>. Leaves oblong, quite entire ; panicles glabrous, equalling the 

 leaves, bearing numberless, sterile, hair-like, rusty pedicels, which exceed much the inter- 

 mixed fertile ones ; flowers minute ; petal-limb ovate, blunt ; " carpids obovate or oblong. 

 — A high climber ; leaves 6"-4" long, reticulated-veiny ; the sterile pedicels about 8'" long, 

 either naked or terminated with an abortive flower ; flowers £'" diam. ; disc cupuliform, 

 thin; stameus very short, contiguous. — Hab. Trinidad !, Sch., Cr. ; [Haiti.]. 



5. H. malpighifolia, Rudge. Leaves oblong or oval-oblong, quite entire ; panicles 

 lax, glabrous, equalling or exceeding the leaves ; petals large, obovate, 6-8 times exceeding 

 the calyx ; " carpids orbicular : seeds wingless." — Rudge, Guian. t. 8. Payer, Organ, t. 35. 



f. 34-44 : analyt. Tonsella, Mey. I H. integrifolia, Rich. H. grandiflora, Pay. H. Kap- 

 pleriana, Miq. I — Petals 4"' long, not clawed, glabrous, devoid of the transverse keel of other 

 species ; disc cupuliform, thin ; stamens short : young anthers 4-celled, 4-lobed. — Hab. 

 Jamaica!, Wils. ; S. Vincent!, Guild.; [Cuba to Guiana!, Veraguas]. 



2. SALACIA, L., Benth. 

 Anthers adnate, bilocular. Pericarp baccate. 



6. S. scandens, Gr. Leaves oblong, pointed, quite entire, glabrous ; cymes axillary, 

 dichotornous, exceeded by the leaves; " berry globose, minute." — Aubl. t. 10. — Tontelea, 

 Aubl. — A climbing shrub. — Hab. Trinidad; [Guiana, Panama!]. 



