THE FLORA OF SOUTH AMERICA. 145 



ineequaliter 4-5-6-fido, laciniis 2-3 seepe duplo majoribus 

 foliformibus, persistens. Corolla hypogyna, infundibulifor- 

 mis, tubo superne amplo, limbi expansi, aestivatione pro- 

 funde plicati, laciniis 5, brevibus, sequalibus, crenulato-un- 

 dulatis. Stamina 5, corollee contractione inserta, inclusa, 

 2 breviora; filamenta filiformia, basi dilatata, imo pube- 

 scentes, superne glabra j antheree 2-loculares, basifixse, 

 longitudinaliter dehiscentes. Ovarium sessile, 2-loculare, 

 ovulis in loculis utrinque 8, in septi faciem juxta basin ad 

 nervos 2 parallelos, 2-seriatira dispositis, adscendentibus, 

 imbricatis, inferioribus exterioribus. Stylus simplex. Stigma 

 2-lamellatum, laminis, crassiusculis margine revolutis. Cap- 

 sula coriacea, lignosa, cylindracea, 2-locularis, apice septi- 

 frage 2-valvis, dissepimento libero, valvis parallelis demurn 

 semi-bifidis. Semina 2-4 in quoque loculo, e dissepimenti 

 basi adscendentia, longe linearia, utrinque acuminato-at- 

 tenuata, margine ala membranacea cincta, ventre convexa, 

 dorso carinata, hilo basali, testa chartacea ad endopleuram 

 spongiosam adnata. Embryo in axi albuminis carnosi tenui 

 rectus, cotyledonibus linearibus, radiculam cylindricam in- 

 feram aequantibus. Arbor Brasiliensis frondosa, foliis al- 

 ternis breviter petiolatis, ellipticis, penninerviis, valde reti- 

 culatis, integerrimis, nitidis, floribus terminalibus, subso- 

 litariis, vel plurimis subracemose fasciculatis, ebracteatis, 

 speciosis, albis. 

 1. Metternichia princeps, Mik. loc. cit. tab. I. Char. ut. 

 supra. — Rio de Janeiro, v. v. 



This is a handsome tree, or shrub, with copious foliage of 

 bright evergreen leaves and large conspicuous flowers. It is 

 altogether perfectly glabrous. The leaves are about 3-4 

 inches long, and 1| to \\ in. broad, upon a slender chan- 

 nelled petiole of 4 lines ; they are thin, and of a somewhat 

 membranaceous texture, the margin being slightly revolute ; 

 "ley have a reticulated venation, and both surfaces under a 

 strong lens appear minutely punctulated. The calyx is very 

 "rin, membranous, light green, very reticulately nerved, and 

 unevenly cleft into 4-5-6 obtuse leaf-like segments of various 

 length ; it is generally half an inch, sometimes nearly 1 in. 

 v ol. v. M 



