ME. BENTHAM ON LOGAKlACEiE. 83 



a very distinct plant. The aestivation of the corolla is not described, 

 but it would appear from the figure to be valvate. The fruit is 

 unknown. Gaudichaud doubts whether it be capsular, as was then 

 supposed to be generally the case in Loganiacece, and it is clear from 

 the figure that the ovary and placentae are thick and fleshy. It 

 would therefore rank artificially next to Strychnos, with the stipular 

 dilatations of Fagraea, a peculiar calyx, and three cells to the ovary, 

 the only instance except Desfontainea as yet known in the Order. 

 Since this paper was drawn up, during a hurried visit to Paris, 

 I saw the original specimen in the herbarium of the Jardin des 

 Plantes. It had much the look of a Gcertnera, but the inflorescence 

 was so young, that it was impossible to derive from it any further 

 information as to the structure of the flowers. 



22. Nicodemia, Ten. 



As already mentioned, Nicodemias are Buddleias with an inde- 

 hiscent baccate fruit. The plant was long known as a Buddleia, 

 and the fruit was probably originally observed by DeCandolle, 

 who, in the 4th vol. of the ' Prodromus,' excludes Sieber's speci- 

 mens from Bubiacece, where that collector had placed them, and 

 refers them with doubt to Solanacece. Tenore was the first who 

 fully identified the fruit and flowers, and established the genus ; 

 but as he published it in a country having but little scientific 

 intercourse with the rest of Europe, his Nicodemia had been long 

 overlooked ; and when preparing Buddleia for the ' Prodromus,' I 

 had nothing to lead me to exclude the B. diversifolia. I have since, 

 however, received excellent specimens from Tenore, besides seeing 

 the plant in fruit myself in the Botanical Garden at Naples, and 

 have now the opportunity of doing full justice to the Professor's 

 investigations. In describing a second Madagascar species, I my- 

 self saw reason to believe that the ovary was fleshy, but had no 

 specimens at all far advanced enough to decide the point. 



Tribe IV. G^ETNEEE^. 



The Gcertnerece, or Coffeacece with a free ovary, consist of three 

 genera, more intimately connected with the corresponding Bubiacece 

 than almost any other Loganiacece, although they represent but 

 very few of the modifications observable in the extensive tribe of 

 Coffeacece. We have only the valvate corolla of Bsgchotria, not 

 the contorted aestivation of Ixora ; we have no instance of more 



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