FLORA VITIENSIS. 95 
petiolate; plumule spiraliter circumvolute. Masc.: Calyx liber et andreecium ut in hermaphro- 
dito.—Arbor excelsa, foliis alternis integris lobatisve, paniculis florum cymosis przecocibus. 
Lindley and Bentham have referred this genus to Combretacee, from the typical forms of which it 
differs in having valvate anthers; and until some better place has been found, it must remain there. I 
agree with Bentham in reducing all the species of Gyrocarpus proposed by different authors to only one 
species, which, like most litoral plants, has a wide range in both the eastern and western hemispheres. 
Nothing is more striking than the differences observable in the young and the old plants. In the former 
the leaves are large, broadly cordate, and deeply 3-lobed, as figured in Jacq. Ic. Amer. t. 178, f. 80, and 
loosely tomentose on both sides; in the latter they are quite entire, glabrous, more acuminate and more 
acute at the base than in the form characterized as G.. acuminata, Meisn., as already pointed out by Bentham. 
1. G. Jacquini, Roxb. Pl. Corom. vol. i. p. 2. t. i.; Lam. Ill. t. 850; Benth. Fl. Austr. vol. ii. 
p. 505 ; Pers. Syn. vol. i. p. 143.—G. Americanus, Jacq. Am. p. 282. t. 178. f. 80. G. Asiaticus, Willd. 
Sp. vol. iv. p. 982. G. acuminatus, Meisn. in DC. Prodr. vol. xv. sect. i. p. 248. G. sphenopterus, 
R. Brown, Prodr. 405; Endl. Iconogr. t. 48. G. rugosus, R. Brown, Prodr. 405. Nomen vernac. 
Vitiense, “ Wiriwiri."—Common on the sea-beach, Taviuni and other islands (Seemann! n. 561). 
Also found in Eastern Australia, and in tropical America and Asia. 
A large, quick-growing tree, with soft, useless wood. In old trees the heart of the trunk is often 
found decayed in the manner of our Willows. 
Orpo XL. HOMALINEZA. 
I. Homalium, Jacq. Am. 170. t. 183. f. 72; Benth. in Journ. Linn. Soc. vol. iv. p. 33; Endl. 
Gen. n. 5086 et 5087. Calycis tubus turbinatus v. oblongus, ovarii basi adnatus ; limbus co-partitus, 
segmentis (4—12) petalisque totidem cum iis alternantibus persistentibus post anthesin sepius ac- 
cretis. Glandula pulvinata, intus ad basin cujusve calycis segmenti. Stamina ad basin petalorum 
inserta, iis opposita, tot quot petala, vel ad quodque petalum 2-7 approximata v. fasciculata. Ovarium 
1-loculare, basi adnatum et vacuum, superne liberum, conicum, stylis 3—5 liberis v. basi connatis 
coronatum ; placentz parietales, versus apicem cavitatis tot quot styli et cum iis alternantes; ovula 
in quaque placenta 2-6 (sepius 4), pendula. Fructus paullo accretus, siccus, medio calycis segmentis 
petalisque persistentibus et seepius accretis cinctus, apice valvulis stylos findentibus et medio pla- 
centiferis breviter dehiscens (v. induratus et indehiscens?) Semina pauca, parva, pendula, oblonga. 
Albumen haud copiosum. Embryo rectus, radicula brevi supera, cotyledonibus oblongis tenuiter 
foliaceis.—A rbores v. frutices ; stipulis parvis sepe caducis, foliis alternis integerrimis v. ssepius obtuse 
dentatis penniveniis ; racemis axillaribus simplicibus v. in paniculas terminales dispositis v. paniculis 
divaricate ramosis ; floribus parvis, sepe inconspicuis, sessilibus v. breviter pedicellatis, solitariis v. fas- 
ciculatis.—Blackwellia, Comm. ex Juss. Gen. p. 343. Cordylanthes, Blume, Mus. Bot. vol. ii. p. 27. 
1. H. Vitiense, Benth. in Journ. Linn. Soc. vol. iv. p. 36; foliis ovatis vix coriaceis glabris ; 
floribus subsessilibus 8-10-meris; calycis tubo oblongo-turbinato; segmentis linearibus quam petala 
lineari-cuneata vix minoribus, staminibus ad petala 2-3-nis; stylis sepius 4.— Viti Levu (Milne !) 
This plant has the shuttlecock flowers of several species of the Blackwellia section of the genus, and 
is allied to, though quite distinct from, H. fetidum. The leaves are 2-3 inches long. Another Polynesian 
species with shuttlecock flowers was gatheed at Kanala, New Caledonia (Macgillivray ! n. 30), whieh may 
bear the name of H. (Racoubea) Austro-Caledonicum, (sp. nov.) Seem. in Herb. Mus. Brit. ; ramis angu- 
latis foliisque glabris; foliis petiolatis oblongis v. obovato-oblongis obtusis v. breviter acuminatis grosse et 
irregulariter erenatis, crasse coriaceis; racemis simplicibus elongatis villosiuseulis; floribus subsessilibus 
10-12-meris, calycis tubo turbinato, segmentis linearibus quam petala linearia longioribus; stylis 3. The 
only specimen at my disposal has the branches curiously ringed at the lower end, but it remains to be seen 
whether this is so in other specimens. Petioles 2 inch long. Blade of leaf 3-3} inches long, 2 inches 
broad. Stamens arranged in three whorls, opposite the petals; those of the outer two whorls in pairs 
those of the inner whorl single. - me 
