140 THALAMIFLORJE. 



dad, and others of the West India Islands. It has probably 

 become so generally diffused, from the wild pigeons feeding on 

 the berries, and thus conveying the seeds to distant parts. 



ORDER XXXVI. MARCGRAVIACE^. ' 



Calycine sepals 2-7, ovate, generally coriaceous 

 and imbricated. Corolla hypogynous ; sometimes 

 monopetaloLis, and calyptriform ; at other times of 5 

 petals. Stamens indefinite, inserted either on the re- 

 ceptacle, or on a hypogynous membrane : filaments 

 dilated at the base : anthers elongated, innate, burst- 

 ing inwards. Ovary single, free : style 1 : stigma 

 simple or capitate. Capsule coriaceous, commonly 

 subglobose, many-valved, scarcely dehiscent : disse- 

 piments from the middle of the valvules, but not 

 meeting in the centre, so that the fruit is 1 -celled : 

 seeds very numerous and very minute, nidulant in 

 pulp. 



Shrubs ; with leaves alternate ; flowers in umbels or spikes ; 

 and peduncles naked, or furnished M'ith either simple or cucul- 

 late hollow bracteas. Natives of equinoctial America, with the 

 exception of one species, Antholoma Montana, found in New 

 Caledonia. Properties unknown. 



I. Marcgravia. 



Calyx 6-partite, persistent, ovato-rotund, coria- 

 ceous, imbricated, unequal. Corolla coriaceous, coni- 

 cal, entire. Stamens in 1 row, inserted on the mem- 

 branule surrounding the ovary ; anthers oblong, lon- 

 gitudinally dehiscent. Style scarcely any. Stigma 

 thick, persistent. Capsule coriaceous, berried, sub- 

 globose. 



Named in honour of George Marcgraff of Leibstadt, autl.v,. 

 ot a work on the Natural History of Brazil, published in 1648 



lOr 



