_ Gustavia insignis. Linden Cat. 1855 (name only). 
Tap. 5069, 
GUSTAVIA INSIGNIS. 
Showy Gustavia. 
Nat. Ord. Myrracea#: Tribe BARRINGTONIER.—MONADELPHIA 
PoLYANDRIA. 
Gen. Char. Calycis tubus turbinatus, limbus integer aut 4—6-8-lobus. Pedala’ 
4-6-8, ovalia,subaequalia. Stamina numerosa, basi monadelphia unguibusque peta- 
lorum subadnata. Ovarium 4—6-loculare, loculis polyspermis. Stylus brevis. 
Stigma obtusum. Capsula ovata aut subglobosa, 3-6-locularis, coriacea, calycis. 
vestigio umbilicata. Semina in quoque loculo pauca ovata, membrana coriacea 
vestita, funiculo longo plicato columne centrali affixo suspensa. Zmédryo carno- 
sus. Cotyledones 2, magne, subzequales, extus convexee, intus plane. Radicula 
obtusa, vix prominens.—Arbores ; folia alterna, magna, impunctata, serrata aut im- 
hang glabra. Racemi terminales, paucifiori. Flores bracteati, albi, speciosi. : 
le Cand. 
Gustavia insignis ; floribus 6-petalis, calyce 6-lobo, lobis rotundatis pedunculo- 
que glaberrimo, ovario aptero, foliis obovato-lanceolatis acuminatis spinuloso- 
serratis basi attenuatis, bracteis floralibus ad basin ovari. 
Eight species of the fine tropical American genus Gustavia are 
defined by De Candolle in the ‘Prodromus,’ and Mr. Bentham — 
has since added a ninth, but none of these sufficiently accord with 
the present plant to justify me in referring it to any one of them ; 
So that if those species are accurately ch 
characters are constant, our plant must be 
allied Species are: (1) G. angusta, L., which has eight petals and 
a truncated calyx ; (2) G. speciosa, De Cand. (Pirigara speciosa, 
-K.), with a nearly entire calyx, a tomentose ovary and 
peduncles, and entire leaves ; and (3) @. wreeo H thy 
calyx entire. (@. angusta and G@. speciosa have, further, the pair 
of bracteas remote from the flower, whereas in our plant they 
are appressed to the base of the ovary. In other respects this 
as the most perfect resemblance to G. urceolata, the figure and oe 
description of which are given in the ‘ Mém. du Museum,’ v. 13, — 
p. 156, t. 5. Here however we have a distinct, five-lobed calyx, — 
and I think it safer to adopt the name by which it is circulated 
| SEPTEMBER IsT, 1858. 
aracterized, and if the ne 
new. The most nearly 
lata, Poir., with the — oe 
