150 ON SOUTH-AMERICAN APOCYNACEX. 
APTOTHECA. 
This genus is proposed for a plant from Cuba, described by Grisebach under the name 
of Thyrsanthus corylifolia:—but which has an elongated 2-locular capsule, of the 
shape and structure of that of Rhaptocarpus odoriferus, an axillary, sessile, short, 
spicately capitate head of very small subsessile flowers ; 5 small sepals, each with a simple 
acute internal scale; a corolla with a tube about the length of the calyx, with oblong 
' segments somewhat longer, having a sinistrorse convolution, little imbricated in «estiva- 
tion; 5 stamens upon slender filaments, seated at the base of the tube, and exserted 
anthers slightly coherent; no disk; and a roundish 2-celled ovary. 
ArroTHECA, nob.: Thyrsanthus, Griseb. in parte: Sepala 5, parva, obtuse oblonga, intus squamula 
acuta singulatim donata. Corolle tubus cylindricus, calycem sub:zquans, fauce retrorsum pilosus, 
membranaceus; segmenta 5, obtuse oblonga, rotata, sstivatione paullo imbricata et sinistrorsum 
convoluta. Stamina 5; filamenta filiformia, tubum «equantia, ad ejus basin inserta; anthere 
lineares, vix coherentes, apice membrana lata acuta munite, imo in furcas 2 parallelas obtusas 
breves fisse. Discus nullus. Ovarium rotundatum, 2-loculare ; stylus tenuis; clavuncula conice 
oblonga, imo 5-lobulata; sfigma breviter acute 2-lobum. Capsula elongata, utrinque sulcata, 
2-locularis, dissepimento bilamellari septicide dehiscens, septis per medium longitudinaliter hiantibus, 
marginibus introflexis et placentiferis; semina plurima, linearia, compressa, raphe longitudinali 
prominente signata, glabra, apice coma longiore coronata. 
APTOTHECA CORYLIFOLIA, nob.: Forsteronia corylifolia, Griseb. in Cat. Pl. Cub. p. 171 (1856): Thyr- 
santhus corylifolius, Griseb. in Pl. Wr. Cub. part. ii. 519 (1862). In Cuba: v. s. in herb. Mus. 
Brit. Guantanamo (Wright 1664, in flore et fructu). 
A seandent plant, with slender, straight, glabrous branches, its axils being 13-2 in. 
apart; leaves oval, rounded or subacute at the base, suddenly constricted at apex 
into a short acumen, thinly chartaceous, bright green above, opake, obsoletely puberu- 
lous, suleate and pilosulous along the midrib, with fine yellow nerves, paler beneath, 
opake, costa, nerves, and veins prominent, pubescent, the axils of the nerves bearded with 
a tuft of white hairs, 2-4] in. long, 12-2 in. broad, on slender pubescent petioles 2-3 lines 
long. The inflorescence, 14 in. long, consists of numerous approximate small flowers, 
agglomerated towards the summit, on pedicels 4 line long; sepals acutely ovate, pale, 
sparsely puberulous on both sides, each with an acute inner scale à 3 line long; tube of 
reddish corolla 1 line long, with a densely pilose ring in the throat; segments obliquely 
oblong, pilose in the middle on both sides, rotate, 13 line long; stamens with slender 
filaments as long as the tube, and fixed at its base, 1 line long; anthers the same length, 
their summits subexserted; ovary globose, pilose at the apex, 3 line long. Capsule 
8 in. long, 3$ lines broad, deeply 2-suleate; seeds many, 5 lines long, linear, flat, with 
a linear prominent raphe; apical coma yellow, 7 lines long. 
Grisebach considered this plant to be near Thyrsanthus spicatus. 
A drawing of the plant, and an analysis of its fruit and seeds, are given in Plate XXI. B. 
