FLORA VITIENSIS. | 167 
Orvo LXIII. GENTIANEZE. 
I. Erythrza, Ren. Spec. 77; Griseb. in DC. Prodr. vol. ix. p. 57. Calyx 5-4-partitus ; seg- 
mentis planiusculis exalatis. Corolla infundibuliformis, nuda, supra capsulam marcescens; tubo 
cylindrico; limbo 5—4-partito. Stamina 5—4, corollz tubo superne inserta. Anthere erectze, spira- 
liter tortze, exsertæ. Ovarium 1-loculare v. valvis parum introflexis semibiloculare; ovulis ad sutu- 
ram insertis. Stylus distinctus, deciduus ; stigmate bilamellato aut indiviso capitulato. Capsula 2- 
valvis, septicida, l-semibilocularis, placentis spongiosis suturalibus. Semina placente immersa, 
subglobosa, levia, minuta.—Herbe annus; caule subangulato; foliis basi connatis; cymis sæpius 
terminalibus dichotomis; floribus roseis v. albis aut flavis.—Schenkia, Griseb. in Seem. Bonplandia, 
vol. i. p. 226. Hippocentaurea, Schult. CEstr. vol. i. p. 389. 
Besides the species enumerated below, there is, in tropical Polynesia, a second species of this genus, 
which I discovered in Oahu, Hawaiian Islands, and which was held to be the type of a new genus, until A. 
Gray reduced it to Erythrea. “ This plant," says the great American botanist, “ was not met with by the 
naturalists of Wilkes's expedition. But having examined Seemann's n. 2272 and Remy’s n. 375 from 
Oahu, I cannot regard the plant as other than a close congener of the plant which it most resembles, viz. 
Erythrea spicata. The leaves are broader and rounder, being broadly-oval; the tube of the corolla pro- 
portionally shorter, and its lobes broader; the sepals are less narrow and more carinate, or, if you please, 
winged on the back. But this varies somewhat, even in the sepals of the same flower, and, at most, is only 
a matter of degree, the sepals being carinate, at the base sharply so, in F. spicata. So other American 
species affect a transition in this respect to Gyrandra, Griseb. (Erythrea chironioides, Torr.). Grisebach 
describes the stigma of his Schenkia as “ capitulatum " or “crassiusculum ;" but there must be some mis- 
take or confusion here, for in Seemann’s own specimens,which I have examined, as also in those of Remy, 
the stigma is very large and just as in .E. spicata, that is, appearing as this organ is characterized by Grise- 
bach in the section Spicaria, but upon maceration separating completely into two nearly orbicular flat divi- 
sions. In Erythrea generally I cannot verify the character “corolla supra capsulam contorto-marcescens.” 
1. E. (Spicaria) australis, R. Brown, Prodr. p. 451; caule stricto superne ramoso ; foliis ellip- 
tico-oblongis obtusis; cyma basi dichotoma spiciformi, flore centrali brevissime pedicellato; corollz 
4-5-fidee tubo sub anthesi calycem paulum excedente, lobis anguste oblongis obtusis.— Viti, locality 
not specified (Sir E. Home!). Also collected in New Caledonia (M*Gillivray), Isle of Pines 
(M‘Gillivray !), and New Holland. 
II. Limnanthemum, Gmel. in Act. Petrop. 1769. p. 527; Griseb. in DC. Prodr. vol. ix. p. 
138. Calyx 5-partitus, segmentis basi in tubum connexis. Corolla decidua, rotata, submembranacea 
et siccata fugitiva, 5-partita, segmentis varie fimbriatis glandulis hinc epipetalis instructa. Stamina 
5, corolle tubo inserta, filamentis basi qualibus. Anthere erectz, immutate. Ovarium glandulis 
5 hypogynis cinctum, 1-loculare, ovulis suture insertis. Stylus nunc abbreviatus, cum stigmate 2- - 
lobo persistens. Capsula 1-locylaris, evalvis, demum maceratione aperiunda ; placentis suturalibus. 
Semina 2—00; testa levi aut muricata.— Herb: perennes, in aquis natantes, inflorescentia axillari aut 
petiolari; foliis longe petiolatis natantibus peltatis v. cordatis, orbiculatis, integerrimis v. integris ; 
umbellis inzequalibus sessilibus emersis. Ludunt quzdam flore 5-8-mero. 
1. L. Kleinianum, Griseb. Gent. p. 344, et in DC. Prodr. vol. ix. p. 139 (Tab. XXXIII.) ; 
foliis cordato-orbiculatis, supra lzevibus v. asperiusculis, subtus glanduliferis demum lacunoso-asperis, 
3-nerviis, nervis subtus prominentibus; calycis segmentis ovato-lanceolatis corolla subduplo brevio- 
ribus capsulam subzquantibus; corolle albz fundo lute segmentis margine et intus inordinate 
fimbriatis eglandulosis; stylo abbreviato crasso; stigmate 2-lobo; capsula oo-sperma, seminibus 
nitidis levibus obtuse carinatis.— Villarsia Indica, Wall. Cat. n. 4352. Menyanthes, e Nov. Caled. 
Forst. Prodr. n. 502 excl. syn. Rheed. (fide spec. in Mus. Brit.). Nomen vernac. Vitiense “ Beka- 
* 
