The affinities of Greyia are not at first obvious, and are 
still disputed. Dr. Harvey referred it doubtfully to Saz- 
fragee, and I unhesitatingly to the suborder Melianthee of 
Sapindacee, a position which my friend did not accept, on the 
ground that it differs from Sapindacee “ in its 1-celled ovary, 
parietal placentas, indefinite and very numerous ovules, 
copiously albuminous seeds, and minute straight embryo.” 
(See Gen. S. Afric. Pl. ed. 2, p. 62). But the ovary is 
5-celled, and the placentas axile, whilst all the other cha- 
racters noted above as discrepant, actually accord precisely 
with those of Melianthee, to which the curious thick branches, 
unequal stamens, and membranous almost follicular capsule 
further ally it, and leave no doubt in my mind of its true 
relationship with that order. The figure here given is taken 
from dried specimens in part. Professor Oliver has remarked 
upon native specimens recently received from Mr. Cooper, that 
the petiole, in falling away, carries with it the old cuticle of 
the bark from a considerable portion of the branch. 
Descr. A small tree, with thick naked branches, covered 
with a yellowish brown bark. Leaves clustered at the ends of 
the branches, spreading, petioled, two to three inches long, orbi- 
cular ovate or oblong, deeply cordate at the base, margins lobu- 
late and toothed, glabrous, minutely glandular, veins spreading, 
deep green above, paler beneath; petiole three-quarters to | 
one inch long, dilated at the base. Racemes terminal, four 
to six inches long, subcylindric, two to three inches in 
diameter, very many-flowered; bracts lanceolate; pedicels 
glabrous, one-half to three-quarters of an inch long. owers 
drooping, densely imbricating downwards, subglobose, about 
half an inch in diameter. Calya hemispheric, green, with tive 
broad rounded erect lobes. Petals five, subequal, much 
longer than the calyx, orbicular, concave, glossy, scarlet, 
fleshy and shining. Disé cupular, with ten marginal teeth, 
each crowned with a peltate gland. Stamens ten, subregular, 
hypogynous, filaments curved, slender, red, exserted; anthers 
short, dark red-purple. Ovary elongate-ovoid, laterally 
5-lobed, 5-celled, narrowed into a subulate style with a punc- 
tiform stigma; ovules numerous, biseriate in the inner angle 
of the cells. rwit capsular, septicidally 5-valved, mem- 
branous, many-seeded. Seeds albuminous, embryo minute. 
oe 0. H.. 
Fig, 1, Flower; 2, the same with the calyx and petals removed; 3, por- 
tion of disk and glands; 4, ovary; 5, transverse section of ditto; 
6, capsule :—all but fig. 6 magnified. 
