BOTANICAL INFORMATION. _ 433 
nicate since that period, the opportunity now afforded by the 
heavy rains that deluge the country inclines me thus to em- 
ploy the interval of leisure. My only fear is lest I should 
trouble you with too many letters; but as it will be impossible 
to write again for two months, you wiil probably pardon me 
on the present occasion. Enclosed, you will find two little 
papers which I have drawn up for you ; one on the structure 
of the genus Crescentia, and another containing a description 
of a beautiful phosphorescent species of Agaric. In the 
former is an accurate description of a Crescentia, which ap- 
pears hitherto unknown, and whose peculiarities induced me 
to make a few observations on the affinities of the genus; but 
^. it remains with you to decide if these remarks be worth the 
. publishing. Of the Agaric, I have made a very rough draw- 
ing, conveying, however, a tolerable idea of its appearance; 
it is very possible that some. of the Botanists who have lately 
visited the interior of Brazil, may have already collected this 
Fungus. I have procured a number « of specimens of it, and 
they have dried pretty well, considering the dampness of the - 
season. From Crato, I sent you a description of a Tree, 
which I have called Erionema; I have no doubt it will belong 
to the Nat. Order Styracee, and would have so referred it 
when drawing up the character, but that I observed, in the 
definition of Styracee, as given by Lindley, that the sestiva- 
tion is imbricated, while in my plant it is distinctly valvate. 
This structure, together with its being polypetalous, and 
having an inferior fruit, decided me at one time to refer my 
3 Erionema to the neighbourhood of Loranthacee. I have 
~ Since found a species of Strigi/ia, which seems to be a legiti- 
. mate genus of Síyracee, and has a valvate zstivation, and 
this has led me to suspect that my plant also belongs to the 
same Order. You will, of course, be able to ascertain this 
point at once; but to whatever Order it shall be referred, 
_ I think there can be no doubt of its bearing a strong affinity 
to those with which I have compared it. | 
_ * Since I wrote to you last, the weather has been extremely 
wet; to-day completes the number of thirty days, during — — 
