238 Mr D. Don oil the Characters and Affinities 



turarrt nondum vidi) 6-cocca : coccis monospermis, angulo interiori ad- 

 natis, cxteriore longitudinaliter dehiscentibus. 

 Frutex (Chilensis) volubilis, glaberrimus. Foliar parsa, petiolata, ovalia, obtusa^ 

 coriacea, margine cartilagineo-integerrima^ unicostata, vents immersis, 2-3-un- 

 cialia. Racemi axillares ! solitarii^ subspicati^ penduli, bipoUicares. Flores 

 albi. Bracteolae elliptico-oblongce^ concavcB, membranacece. 



Obs. a Phytolacca tantum diiFert ovario pedicellate, et inflorescentid 

 axillari, nee opposititbli^. \ai 



1. Ercilla volubilis, Ad. de Juss. in Ann. des Scien. Nat. 25. p. /ill. 

 1.3. f.l. '-'^ 



Suriana volubilis, Dombey et Cav. MS. e 



Lardizabala sp. nova. Ruiz et Pavon MS. 



Hob. in Chili ad Valparaiso. Ruiz et Pavon, Dombey, Lud. Nee, Bridges, 

 Cuming. I7 w. (V. s. sp. in Herb. Lamb.) 



The intimate affinity of this genus to Phytolacca leaves no 

 doubt of its being a legitimate member of the same natural 

 family, notwithstanding the opinion to the contrary held by M. 

 Adrien de Jussieu, who, in the memoir above mentioned, has 

 proposed to refer it to the Menispermea, from which, it appears 

 to me, the genus differs widely, especially in the anthers being 

 incumbent with distinct parallel cells, in its long fihform stig- 

 mata, in the structure of the ovaria, and in the leaves being fur- 

 nished with a solitary midrib, with transverse branches. I had 

 already described the genus, and referred it to Phytolacetz^ when 

 the learned memoir of M. Adrien de Jussieu fell into my hands. 

 The twining habit and the axillary inflorescence are the only 

 characters with which it agrees with the Menisperme^ ; but 

 these are mere points of analogy, and I am persuaded that there 

 exists no affinity whatever between Ercilla and that family. 

 The habit of the plant appears to have misled Ruiz also in re- 

 gard to its affinity. 



ANISOMERIA. 



Syst.Linn. POLYANDRIA PENTAGYNIA.^ ^nij 



Ord. Nat, PHYTOLACE^, Br, Tjnbgignoo .^^-^S^^ 



Calyx 5-fidum : laciniis insequalibus, rotundatis, subcoriacieis ; 3 mpenorilius 

 majoribus. Petala 0. Stamina plurima (20-30), basi perianthii inserta, 

 ad latus superius assurgentia, subsecunda : filamenta filiformia, glabra, 

 persistentia : anthene incumbentes, biloculares : loculis distinctis, paral- 

 lelis, longitudinaliter dehiscentibus. Pistilla plura (4, 5 v. G) distincta, 

 axi destituta. Ovaria ancipiti-compressa. Stigmata recur vata, longitu- 

 dinaliter papilloma. Baccae abortu 2, 3 v. rariiis 5 v. solitarise, mono- 

 spermae. ■ 



Herba perennis. Caules plures, simpUces, erecti, foliosi, semipedales, digiti mtnoris 

 crassitie. Folia altema, sessilia, ovato-oblonga, apice mucronulato, recurvo. 



