372 Dr. Arnott on the Genus Rhizophora. 



scription constantly five petals and ten stamens ; whereas in 

 the Indian species I believe there are never fewer than six 

 petals. 



Dr. Brown has pointed out the affinity of Cassipourea, Aubl. 

 or Legnotis of Swartz with this order, although allied at the 

 same time to Salicariece. Of that genus I do not possess any 

 species, nor have I had an opportunity of examining them mi- 

 nutely ; but according to authors the stigmajs entire, and the 

 number of stamens three or four times as many as the petals : 

 in other respects however I have a plant not much at variance 

 from Prince of Wales Island, and this agrees so well in ap- 

 pearance with Microtropis coriacea, Wall. Cat. n. 4338 (of 

 which I have not seen the flower) as probably to be the same. 

 This species has the stigma of Carallia, and stamens only 

 twice as many as the petals, and is thus still more allied to 

 Carallia and the true Rhizophorece than Cassipourea, but form- 

 ing a link between them : like Cassipourea, the ovary is free 

 and composed of several cells with more than two ovules in 

 each ; as in the Rhizophorece with an inferior ovary there is a 

 perigynous disc between the ovary and the petals, the stamens 

 being attached to the outside (or underside) of this disc. Cas- 

 sipourea and the Penang plant have both fleshy albumen ; in 

 the former the cotyledons are said to be flat, in the latter they 

 are certainly semiterete. From these considerations I am in- 

 duced to propose it as a new genus, as follows : 



Dryptopetalum. 



Calyx 4 — 5-partitus : laciniae ovatae : sestivatio valvata. Petala 4 — 5, 

 decidua, calycis laciniis subbreviora ac alterna, late cuneata, subungui- 

 culata, apice longe fimbriato-lacera, sestivatione involuta. Discus peri- 

 gynus 8 — 10-crenatus circa ovarii basin. Stamina 8 — 10, sub margine 

 disci libero inserta, 4 — 5 petalis opposita, totidem alterna : filamenta 

 subulato-filiformia, apice sestivatione incurva : antherce globosas, dorso 

 affixae, biloculares, intus dehiscentes. Ovarium liberum, ovato-globo- 

 sum, 5-sulcatum, carnosum, 5-loculare (nunc loculo uno subabortivo) ; 

 loculis 4-ovulatis. Stylus filiformis, brevis. Stigma peltatum, 5-par- 

 titum; laciniis stellato-recurvis, linearibus, apice emarginatis. Fructus 

 pisiformis, baccatus, intus pulposus, sub-5-locularis, 8 — 10-spermus. 

 Semina oblonga, apice contracta, appensa; testa rugulosa, Crustacea. 

 Embryo albus, teres, in axi albuminis carnosi albi : radicula supera, 

 cotyledonibus semiteretibus paullo longior. 



Frutex vel arbor glabra. Folia opposita, coriacea, penninervia, venosa, ob- 



