of the Keeling Islands, 345 



biato, labio superiorc breviter 3-dentato, inferiore obsoletissime 2-den- 

 tato, externe pubescens. Capsula orbicularis, tomentosa, compressa 

 ungue brevi dorsaliter compresso. Semina duo, orbicularia, compressa, 

 muricata, primum pallide denique autem saturatissime brunnea. 



15. Ochrosia parviflora. — This is unquestionably the Cer- 

 bera parviflora of Forster Prod. n. 121., as Mr. Brown showed 

 me by comparison with the original specimens in the Bri- 

 tish Museum; but Dr. Hooker's C. parviflora, in Beechy's 

 Voyage, p. 90, is certainly a distinct species, as I have ascer- 

 tained by an examination of his specimens, kindly forwarded 

 to me for comparison with Mr. Darwin's. Dryander, in 

 the Linn. Trans., vol. ii. p. 227, asserts that he had compared 

 Forster's specimens of C. parviflora with Commerson's of 

 Ochrosia borbonica, and found them to be the same species. 

 This has been since disputed. I have specimens of Och, un- 

 dulata from Mauritius, labelled by Bojer as the " Boisjaune" 

 of that island, which appears to identify that species with 

 Jussieu's Och. borbonica. There is some obscurity in the de- 

 scriptions hitherto given of the fruits of Cerbera, Ochrosia 

 and Tanghinia, and I had hoped to have been able to have 

 inserted here my own observations on them, but I must defer 

 them until I have time to clear up one or two points about 

 which I am doubtful. I should feel much obliged in the 

 mean time to any botanist who can furnish me with specimens 

 of the fruit of these, or any allied genera, for dissection. Mr. 

 Darwin's specimens were accompanied by the following note : 

 " Forms straight handsome trees, with smooth bark, which 

 are commonly dispersed two or three together. The fruit is 

 bright green, like that of the walnut." Two specimens of this 

 fruit were brought home, and though Mr. Darwin feels con- 

 fident that he gathered them, and, as he believes, from the 

 same tree which bore flowers at the time, yet it has been sup- 

 posed that they must belong to a species of Cerbera, and not 

 to an Ochrosia which this plant seems to be ; and I shall there- 

 fore defer their description for the present, merely intimating 

 that I believe them to be identical with the Cerbera platy- 

 sperma of Gaertner. The following is a detailed description 

 of the flowering specimens from Keeling. 



Folia subternata (quorum longiora cum petiolo sesquipcdalia, limboque 

 decern pollices longo sex lato), oblonga vel obovato-oblonga, subacumi- 



