56 Mr. Cole brooke on the Indian Species of Menispermum, 



In truth, Decandolle suspects that it does not properly come 

 into his genus Cocculus : but his hint for re-establishing it as a 

 distinct genus is accompanied with a suggestion for associating 

 it with his Cocculus acuminatus {Menispermum acuminatum), iden- 

 tified by him with Roxburgh's Menispermum polyearpon (Tilia- 

 cora racemosa). That suggestion is seemingly countenanced b\ 

 the multitude of berries in the mature fruit, stated as from three 

 to six* : but on what authority that number is given does not 

 appear. For Willdenow assigns to his plant {Braunea menisper- 

 moides) a single tricoccous berry ; Lamarck (M. radiatum) spe- 

 cifies but one berry ; and Van Rheede describes seven to eight 

 ripe fruits on a raceme, not explaining in the text or by the figure 

 the greatest number ripened from one flower, nor the number of 

 germs comprised in the blossom. 



Upon the whole, the identity of the plants appears question- 

 able ; and Willdenow's generic character of the plant examined 

 by him may be retained until an opportunity occur for examining 

 a more recent specimen ; when it will probably be found that 

 his description needs material correction. 



The Fibraurea tinctoria of Loureiro, described as having a 

 naked flower, and his Limacia scandens, having a quadruple in- 

 tegument of the female flower, and a triple of the male, are 

 scarcely to be reconciled with the generic characters of either 

 DecandoUVs Cocculus or the Linnaean Menispermum. They re- 

 quire no doubt a careful re-examination : but in the mean time 

 must continue unassociated with the genuine species of either 

 genus. 



* Res:. Fez. i. 528. 



COCCULUS. 



