Tas. 4537. 
SPATHODEA avis. 
Smooth-leaved Spathodea. 
Nat. Ord. Branonrackm.—DipyNAMIA ANGIOSPERMIA. 
Gen. Char. Calyx spathaceus, junior clausus, demum hine longitudinaliter 
fissus, inde dentatus seu integer. Corolla subinfundibuliformis, limbo 5-fido 
parum inequali. Stamina 4, didynama, cum 5° sterili. Anthere loculis dis- _ 
cretis. Stigma bilamellatum. Capsula siliqueeformis, bilocularis, loculicido- 
dehiscens, ex septo suberoso aut coriaceo valvis contrario fere prima fronte 4- 
locularis. Semina suberosa, membranaceo-alata, septo applicata, nec in foveis 
immersa.—Arbores aué frutices @quinoctiales, sepe scandentes. Folia opposita, 
rarius alterna, simplicia, conjugata, digitata aut impari-pinnata. Flores termi- 
nales, sepius paniculati. De Cand. 
SpaTHoDEA levis; arborea glabra, foliis alternis impari-pinnatis 4—6-jugis supre- 
mis ternatim verticillatis, foliolis ovatis acuminatis inequilateris grosse 
serratis, racemis terminalibus corymbosis, calyee appresso corollisque ex- 
terne glandulosis, corolle infundibuliformis lobis ineequalibus rotundatis 
crispatis. 
SpaTHopEA levis. Beauv, Fl. d’ Oware et de Benin. v. 1. p. 48. t.29. De Cand. 
Prodr. 0.9. p, 208. 
A very fine Bignoniaceous plant, our first knowledge of 
which was from Messrs. Lucombe, Pince, and: Co., who sent a 
flowering specimen in June 1850, from a plant they imported 
from Sierra Leone. The same species has since flowered in the 
stove of the Royal Gardens of Kew, our plant having been raised 
from seed from the same country. Imperfect as are the figure 
and description of Spathodea levis in Palisot de Beauvois above 
quoted, Iam yet of opinion I am correct in referring it to that 
plant. If by the term “laevis” applied to the species it is 
meant that there are no glands on the calyx or corolla, I may 
Observe, that however obscure on the dried specimens (from 
which M. de Beauvois’ drawing and character were derived), they 
are apparent enough on the living plant. 
vy 
¥ 
Descr. Our plant of the Spathodea levis is sixteen feet high ; 
but it flowers when much smaller with Messrs. Lucombe and 
Pince. Its stem is woody, but soft. The /eaves are alternate, 
except those below the inflorescence, which are often ternately 
OCTOBER Ist, 1850. > 
fa 
