358 TWO AMERICAN SPECIES OE GNETUM. 



ticis, paniculis axillaribus amplis aphyllis, amentis fasciculatis bre- 



vibus, verticillis appproximatis, 



Ckiidis alte scandeas, vix digito crassior, nodis intumescentibus. Folia 



breviter petiolata, 4-6-pollicana5 longias breviusve acuminataj basi 



rotundata coriacea, venis paucis prominulis. Faniculce axillares, op- 



positse, nunc fere pedales, opposite ramosissimse, nunc miiiores, oligo- 



stachyse. Amenta subverticillata, breviter pedicellata, semipoUicana 



V, vix longiora, constant e ilorura verticillis 5-8 (vulgo 6), nunc arctc 



approximatis, nunc inter se semilineam distantibus. Involticra sub 



floribus breviter cupulata, floribus breviora, integerriiua v. obsolete 



biloba (e squamis 3 connatis composita). Flores masculi in verticillo 



numerosi, filamentis articulatis dense confertis immixti, . Stamen 



intra squamam clavatam apice truncatam primo inclusum, dem 



protiTiSum, apice antheram terminalem bilocularem ferens, loculis rima 



transversali dehiscentibus. Amenta foeminea masculis similia nisi 



minora et pauciora. Ovuhini per anthesin intra squamam subglobosam 



arete inclusura, acumine styliformi integro post anthesin breviter pro- 



truso, demum evanido. ^^ Bntpa magnitudine et forma ovi columbse, 



viridis, purpureo tincta. Fericarpium carnosum ; endocarpium carti- 



lagiaeum subfibrosum, a pericarpio facile separandura. Semen pen- 



carpio conforme, basi lata affixumj cseterum a pericarpio liberum, testa 



papyracea. Albumen carnosum. Embryo intra cavitatem albiimims 



reversus; radicula longa, filiformis, spiraliter torta et con^ugata; 



cotyledones minutse" (B. Spruce, in scJiedis), 



This appears to be common in the Gapo and Capoeiras of the Upper 

 Rio Negro and its affluents. In the first distribution I had mistaken 

 the female specimens for a distinct species, to which I had given the 

 name of G, microBtachi/um ; but a series of specimens since received from 

 other localities show me that the characters I had relied upon in the 

 form of the leaf are liable to great variation. Mr. Spruce gathered the 

 species on the Eio Negro, above Barcellos, in December, 1851; near 

 San Gabriel do Cachoeiras in May, 1852; on the Eio Uaupes iu Sep- 

 tember, 1853; near San Carlos, in September, 1853; and on the Rio 

 Guainia, in June, 1854, It has been distributed under the numbers 

 1923, 2314, and 2554. 



2. G. venosiim. Spruce, MSS. ; dioicum, foliis oblongis ellipticisve, pani- 

 culis axillaribus aphyllis, amentis tenuibus elongatis, verticillis loiige 

 reraotis. 



