BRAZILIAN RUBIACEJE. 229 
an inch long) the petioles shortening upwards, the upper pinnze 
becoming decurrent on the inferior side; all entire in the lower half, 
sharply serrate above, smooth, rigid in texture, with a stout midrib 
prominent on both sides, and divergent, parallel, translucent veins 
forked once or twice near the costa (very much as in Scolopendrium). 
Rachis two-furrowed above. The lower pinne stand forward from 
the plane of the frond. : 
Han. Natal. Introduced by Dr. Stanger in 1851, to the Botanic 
Garden, Chelsea. 
On some New Genera and Species of BRAZILIAN RUBIACEZ ; by 
GEORGE BENTHAM, Esq. 
SPRUCEA, Benth. 
(Genus novum Cinchonearum ?) 
The Rubiaceæ collected by Mr. Spruce on the Amazon and the Rio 
Negro are numerous, and many of them constitute fine additions to the 
known genera and species of that Order. I have been preparing de- 
scriptions of most of them, in connection with a general revision of the 
American genera; but in the meantime I cannot resist the pleasure 
of dedicating to the discoverer a very handsome and remarkable shrub 
belonging apparently to the tribe of Cinchonee ; and of making known 
at the same time two or three of the most interesting among his new _ 
Rubiacee belonging to other genera. | 
'The Sprucea* rubescens was gathered in June, 1851, in the gapó at 
Manaquiry, on the south shore of the Amazon, at the mouth of the So- 
limões, where it forms a shrub of 6 to 9 feet. The whole plant, especially 
the leaves, flowers, and stamens, turn more or less red in drying. The 
flowers have a fine odour of Vanilla, the calyx and corolla are yellowish 
cream-coloured, the filaments white, the anthers pale yellow, but be- —— 
coming quite vermilion in drying. The fruit being unknown, there 
may be still some doubt as to its place in the Order between Cinchonee 
and Zondeletiez, although the general habit, stipules, etc., are so much 
those of the former tribe. 
* Iam aware that the name of Sprucea has been substituted by Mr. Wilson for the — 
Holomitrion of Bridel, a eol teri kee gady m. "painaa D aded 
by Müller, nor recognized y Mr. Spruce himself, nor does it appear to be dby 
the most generally received rules of nomenclature. — ‘ 
