Liriosma, Leretia, Poraqueiba, and Emmotum. 361 



the inflorescence is | inch long, spreading to an inch in breadth ; 

 the delicate pedicels are 7 lines long, the flowers in bud being 

 1^ line in length. 



Cathedra. 



This genus has been described in a former volume (2nd ser. 

 vii. 452); and the Diplocrater of Mr. Bentham (Kevv Journ. Bot. 

 iii. 367) does not appear to me to difi'er from it. Throughout 

 the OlacacecB there is a general disposition to a vast increment 

 of the calyx, as in Olax, Heisteria, and Liriosma ; in Schopfia it 

 is the disk that enlarges and becomes adnate to the fruit ; but 

 in Cathedra not only a considerable growth takes place in both 

 the calyx and the disk, but generally one, and sometimes two 

 of the cupuliform bracts, at first scarcely distinguishable, sud- 

 denly swell rapidly after the fall of the corolla, and the growing 

 ovarium thus becomes surrounded by 3 or 4 distinct free cups, 

 which are more or less concentric or superimposed. The ripe 

 fruit is not known ; but I have represented * the appearance of 

 these disks when the ovary has attained ten times the size it had 

 at the period of the fall of the corolla. I now add the details 

 of two other species from Spruce's collections : — 



1. Cathedra ruhricaulis, nob., huj. op. 2 ser. vii. 458; Contrib. 

 Bot. i. 15. pi. 2. — Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro. 



2. Cathedra Gardneriana, nob., loc. cit. 



3. Cathedra acuminata. — Diplocrater acuminata, Benth, loc, cit, 

 p. 367; — ramis glabris, striatellis, ramulis floriferis virgatis, 

 fusco-pruinosis, sub lente brevissime hirtellis ; foliis oblongo- 

 ellipticis, summo abrupte attenuatis, acutis, utrinque glabris, 

 submembranaceis, subtus brunnescentibus ;^ nervis paucis, 

 paullo prominentibus, reticulatis, petiolo tenui, subbrevi; 

 floribus minimis, axillaribus, paucis, fasciculatis, breviter pedi- 

 cellatis. — Barra do Rio Negro, Brasilia Septentr. (Spruce, 

 anno 1850-1851). 



A tree 1 5-20 feet in height ; the internodes of the branchlets 

 are 1-1| inch apart; the leaves are 3|-4 inches long, l^-lj in. 

 broad, on a petiole 3 lines in length : about 3-6 flowers in each 

 axillary fascicle ; pedicels equal to the length of the flower, only 

 i. line ; disk equal in size to the calyx, both cupuliform ; petals 6. 



4. Cathedra cr«s5z/b//«, Benth. MS S. ; — ramulis glabris, cortice 

 rimoso ; foliis oblongo-ellipticis, utrinque acutis, apice anguste 

 attenuatis, subcoriaceis, utrinque opacis et rugulosis, nervis 

 paucis superne immersis, subtus vix prominulis, margine re- 

 flexo ; floribus paucis, axillaribus, fasciculatis, e nodo promi- 



* ' Contributions to Botany/ plate 2. 



