COLLECTED BY MR. SPRUCE. 329 



ACALYPHA, 



There are but three species of this numerous genus in the collection. 

 One is the common A, alopecuroidea, Jacq., a weed in the cultivated 

 grounds on the Amazon, between Santarem and Barraj the two others 

 appear to be unpublished. Both are said by Mr. Spruce to be suffru- 

 tescent climbers of twelve to twenty feet long, a habit which T do not 

 find ascribed to any other species but the A, Carthageyisis^ Jacq., which 

 IS said to be sarmentose. This is, however, a character of which dried 

 specimens seldom give any indication, and can only be ascertained from 

 collectors' notes. 



1. A, scandcns. Spruce^ pl.exs. ; suffruticosa, ramis sarmcntosis pubes- 

 centibus, foliis longe petiolatis amplis cordato-oblongis acurainatis 

 crenatis sparse piloso-hispidis v. demum glabratis scabro-punctatis, 

 spicis axillaribus superioribus masculis inferioribus foemineis longis- 

 simis, bracteis per anthesin minutis, stylis longe plumosis. — Caules 

 15-20-pedales, superne leviter angulati, pube brevi scabri. Stipule 

 lanceolato-subniatae, pilosng. Folia semipedalia v. longiora, acumina- 

 ta, herbacea, viridia, punctis minutis pi-sesertim in pagina inferiore 

 scabra, pilis rigidis supra sparsis subtus praesertim secus vcnas dis- 

 positis, pennincrvia ct basi sub-5-nervia, petiolo 2-4-pollicari, basi 

 breviter contracto et demum indurato ad dilatationem subarticulato. 

 SpiciS pilis flavidis hispidse, suberectae, in axillis solitarioc, graciles ; 

 , masculae superiores, semipedales, floribus crebris; fasciculi 5-8-fIori, 

 bracteis 3-3 minimis subtensi, flores singuH pcdiccUati, minuti, 6-8- 

 andri. Spicae fmminem 1-1 J-pedalcs, floribus parvis sessilibus ; brac- 

 teae subtendentes miuutissimse v. omnino inconspicuas ; ovarium pilis 

 flavidis hirsutissimum \ styli 3-5 lin, longi, plumoso-multlfidi, coc- 

 cinei. 



On the islands of the Amazon opposite Santarem, U. Spruce. Ap- 

 parently a variety of the same species was gathered in Surinam by 

 Hostmann (n. 990). It is less hispid, and the leaves are still larger. 

 The flowers are the same, but, as the fruit advances towards maturity, 

 the subtending bract grows out, as in most AcalypJice, to a broad reni- 

 form crenatc involucre, as long as the fruit itself. 

 2. A. acuminata, sp. n. ; sufTruticosa, ramis sarmentosis puberulis, foliis 

 breviter petiolatis oblongis acuminatis remote calloso-serratis basi 

 cuneatis ad venas hirtellis scabro-punctatis, spicis axillaribus olon- 



VOL, VI. 



2 u 



