Tab. 5678. 

 NYCTOCALOS Thomsoxi. 



Assamese Nyctocalos. 



Nat. Ord. Bignoniace^e. — Didynamia Angiospermia. 



Gen. Char. Calyx parvulus, subcampanulatus, extus infra os sequaliter 

 o-dentatus. Corolla elongato-infundibuliformis, tubo tereti leviter 

 arcuato; lobi 5, subsequales v. inferiore majore, lati, imbricati. Stamina 

 4, cam rudimento subulato quiuti, fauce tubi corollse inserta, didynama, 

 inclusa, filamentis filiform i-subulatis ; antherce loculis divaricatis ab apice 

 connectivi apiculati pendulis. Discus annularis. Ovarium breviter 

 stipitatum, 2-loculare ; stylus elongatus, filiformis, stigmate 2-lamellato ; 

 ovula numerosa, placentis secus marginea septi affixis sub-2-seriatim inserta. 

 Capsula lanceolata, plana, septifraga, valvis medio carinatis crasse coriaceis. 

 uemina . . . . — Frutiees alte scandentes, glabri. Folia opposifa, 3-jfbliolafa, 

 joliolis integerrimis. Flores speciosi, in cymas longe pedunculatas dispositi. 



Ni'Ctocalos Thomson* j foliolis ovato- v. oblongo-lanceolatis longe acumi- 

 natis, pedunculis terminalibus, floribus 7-pollicaribus albis. 



We have long had in the Herbarium specimens of this 

 very handsome Bignoniaceous plant, which differs wholly in 

 habit from any Asiatic genus hitherto described, and were 

 gathered on the Miku hills, near Gowahatty, in Assam, by 

 Mr. Simons. It was not, however, till about six years ago 

 that living plants were received from Dr. Thomson, F.RS., 

 then Superintendent of the Calcutta Botanic Garden, and these 

 have flowered during the present year in the Victoria House, 

 at Kew. Though differing in having four stamens instead of 

 five, and these didynamous, it is no doubt a species of the 

 Javanese genus Nyctocalos, of Teijsman and Binnendyk, first 

 published in Miquels ' Journal de Botanique ' (vol. i. p. 366), 

 and figured in 1863 by the same author in his great folio 

 work, ' Choix des Plantes Rares ou Nouvelles Cultivees et 

 Dessinees dans le Jardin Botanique de Buitcnzorg.' The 

 Assam species resembles the Javanese entirely in foliage, 

 but has much larger and terminal white flowers, those of 

 N. brunsfekin-florns being only three inches long, of a 

 pale pinkish-purple, and disposed in axillary cymes. The 



DECEMBER 1ST, 1SG7. 



