50 Mr. Colebrooke on the Indian Species of Menispermum. 



which is monadelphous, should found a new genus : not to say 

 as much for his triandrous and his hexagynous and dodecagynous 

 species. The task of constructing genera upon the type of the 

 most distinct among these will be here attempted, after a few 

 further observations on the fructification. 



The fruit, and particularly the segregate situation of the coty- 

 ledons in separate cells of the perisperm, may contribute to the 

 discrimination of genera in this family, and consequent reform, 

 as before hinted : but the shape of the nuciform seed, though 

 various, does not promise to serve for a distinctive character, 

 unless for sections of genera. The four species first noticed in 

 this Essay, Menispermum septum, hirsutum, incanum, and villo- 

 sum (Cocculus villosus), cannot in a generic distribution be dis- 

 joined from M. crispum, verrucosum s. tuberculatum [Cocculus 

 crispus), as will be evident, if the complete delineations of the 

 plants are compared together : and, on the other hand, the sin- 

 gular structure of the nut with a central chamber, which is so 

 remarkable in the last-mentioned species, recurs in M . fenestra- 

 tum as well as in Menispermum Cocculus of Gaertner. 



The lunulate or uncinate and almost cyclical shape of the one, 

 will be found more strictly analogous to the sub-globular but 

 hollow or excavated form of the other, than may be at the first 

 view apparent. For, as before intimated, the one form is but an 

 expansion of the other, being enlarged to afford room for broader 

 seminal leaves of the embryo ; and its solid figure is to be con- 

 sidered as generated by an incomplete revolution of the lunula 

 on its axis : and thus the uncinate shape, laterally expanded, 

 produces a cavity or chamber in the solid of revolution. The 

 kidney-shaped seed of Menispermum tomentosum of Roxburgh, 

 with a pit on the inner side, is the link to connect the two forms. 



Upon these considerations, I shall not pretend to deduce any 

 character from the fruit or seed for the genus proposed to be 



constituted 



