118 ON SOUTH-AMERICAN APOCYNACEJE. 
long, 3 lines broad at the base, 1 line broad beyond the middle; the glands in the 
throat are 4 line long; the stamens, 4 lines long, are seated 1 line above the base of 
the tube; the lobes of the disk and ovaries are 13 line long, the style and stigmata 
2 lines long; the follicles are 4 in. long, the pericarp subcoriaceous, pale within, with 
many parallel nerves, impressed where the seeds make it somewhat torulose; the seeds 
are linear-oblong, rostrate, 7 lines long, densely covered on both sides by reddish long 
hairs spreading in all directions, but without any apical coma. 
A drawing of this species (with an analysis of its flower, fruit and seeds) is given in 
Plate XIV. B. 
RHABDADENIA. 
A very peculiar genus, established by Dr. Müller in 1860, upon two Brazilian plants, 
one collected by Pohl on the coasts of S. Brazil, the other the Echites biflora of 
Jacquin, which he confounded with Echites paludosa, a distinct species, well described 
and figured by Vahl. Dr. Grisebach regarded Rhabdadenia as identical with Laubertia 
A. DC., a very distinct genus. The generic character is detailed in Prof. Miiller’s 
monograph, and the typical species well analyzed in his plate 52. Its most peculiar 
character lies in the strueture of the seed, which has no coma properly speaking, as in 
the Echitee; but the apex of the testa is prolonged into a slender tubular rostrum two- 
thirds of its length, and is further lengthened by long setaceous erecto-divergent fine 
hairs, which spring from this rostrum everywhere, from the base to the apex, as in a 
feather. This brings the genus near Robbia, which, though furnished with a brush of 
long silky hairs issuing from below the apex, has no such rostrum. 
Other very distinctive characters reside in the habit of the plants, and in the very 
peculiar kind of inflorescence. The branches are erect, and subscandent, sometimes 
spirally twining; the opposite leaves somewhat distant, not very large, often cordate at 
the base, upon shortish petioles; the lateral axillary inflorescence has a long slender 
pedunele, bearing on its apex 2 shortish pedicels, each supporting a single handsome 
flower; sometimes this peduncle is 2-fid, each branch bearing 2 similar pedicellate 
flowers; and rarely one of the pedicels falls off, leaving a 3-flowered panicle; rarely the 
common peduncle has 2 or more short branches, each bearing geminate pedicellate 
flowers: in all eases these branches or pedicels have no bracts, or, seldom, a few rudiments 
of them *, The sepals are small, lanceolate or oblong, bearing within, at the base 
of each, 2 or 3 acute scales. The corolla is contracted at the base to a narrow cylir- 
drical tube, above which it is much more broadly cylindrical or funnel-shaped, with a 
border of ovate dolabriform segments, simply convolute dextrorsely in sestivatior ; 
stamens seated in the contraction of the tube, upon short filaments pilose behind; the 
corneous connectives of the anthers are shortly 2-lobed at the base, with a long pointed 
apex, and pilose behind; disk of 5 erect, oblong, fleshy, free lobes, rounded or emar- 
ginate at the apex, very shortly connate at the base; 2 free ovaries about their length ; 
* Dr. Müller, in obscure terms, deseribes this peculiar kind of inflorescence, ** sub-umbellato-contracta, oligantha, 
vel laxius bostrycina." 
