Tas. 6095. — 
RHOPALA Poxtit. 
Native of Brazil. 
Nat. Ord. Proreacea.—Tribe GREVILLER. 
Genus Ruopata, Schreb.; (Meissner in DC. Prod., vol. xiv. p, 424). 
Ruopara Pohlit; arborescens, ramulis petiolisque fusco-tomentosis demum 
glabratis, foliis imparipinnatis, foliolis petiolatis oblique ovatis ellip- 
ticis-ovatisve acuminatis grosse serratis supra glabris nitidis subtus 
costatis reticulatis laxe tomentosis v. glabratis, racemis erectis simpli- 
cibus v. compositis solitariis sessilibus aureo-lanatis, pedicellis bracteis 
parvis duplo longioribus, perianthio clavato ad medium 4-fido, seg- 
mentis anguste spathulatis, ovario villoso, stylo gracili. 
Ruopata Pohlii, Meissn. in Mart. Fl. Bras., fasc. xiv. p. 89, t. 33; et in 
DC. Prod., vol. xiv. t. 433. 
R. corcovadensis, Hort. 
The genus Rhopala is one of the few American repre- 
sentatives of the Old World Proteacee, and is confined to the 
tropical and south temperate regions of the New World, 
where nearly forty species have been found, many of them in 
Brazil. They are, for the most part, exceedingly handsome 
evergreen plants, with dark-green shining coriaceous leaves, 
and insignificant blossoms, usually dotted with a rusty or 
golden pubescence. The present species is a native of the 
province of Minas Geraes, in Brazil, and of the neighbour- 
hood of Rio de Janeiro, whence it was introduced into Kew 
many years ago, from a Belgian garden I believe, pro- 
bably Mr. Linden’s, under the name of R. corcovadensis. 
It has flowered repeatedly in the palm-house early in the 
year. 
Drscr. A tree. Branches clothed with dense, bright, rusty- 
coloured woolly tomentum. Zeaves a foot long and upwards, 
arched, pinnate, with five to eight pairs of subopposite and 
alternate pinnules, rachis, petiole, and petiolules villous ; 
pinnules three to five inches long, on stout petiolules, which 
are sometimes an inch long, obliquely ovate or elliptic-ovate, 
APRIL Ist, 1874. 
