234 Mr. BENTHAM's Observations on some Genera of Plants 
Stemmatosiphon uniflorum. Pohl. Pl. Bras. Ic. ii, p. 89. t. 159. 
Hab. in Brasiliz provincia Minas Geraes. Pohl.! 
2. SEGUIERIA. 
The circumstance of a polyandrous genus amongst the true Monochlamydeæ 
is of so rare occurrence, that the first impression conveyed by an unknown 
plant of that description is that of a defective polypetalous one; and accord- 
ingly, although some species or other of Seguieria occurs in most extensive 
South American collections, I have usually found it amongst Swartzieæ or 
with Securidaca, to both of which the genus bears some external resemblance. 
For this reason, probably, not only no new species has yet been described since 
Jacquin and Linnæus published the original S. americana, but even of that 
plant no description has appeared but what has been taken from one of those 
two authors. The affinities of the genus were entirely unknown, until Brown, 
who had examined three Brazilian species, associated it (App. to Tuckey, 
p. 36.) with Petiveria as a tribe of Phytolacee. 
The peculiarities of this tribe are there alluded to in the following words: 
“ The lateral stigma, the spiral cotyledons, and want of albumen in Petiveria, 
remove it to some distance from the other genera of Phytolaceæ, and at the 
same time connect it with Seguieria, with which also it agrees in the alliaceous 
odour of the whole plant” The lateral stigma and solitary carpel is very 
remarkable in all species of Seguieria; in the seeds I examined, which were 
unripe, I found a considerable quantity of mucilage resembling albumen, and 
a small, somewhat curved embryo, with cotyledons by no means spiral, giving 
me the idea that they were very similar to the seeds of several true Phytolacee ; 
it is only when they arrive at maturity, in which state Mr. Brown examined 
them, that their true structure may be seen. Although my specimens are 
insufficient in this respect, yet the genus is so little known, and so remark- 
able in other points, that I have added to the following synopsis of the species 
known to me, a figure of one, in which the fruit, though immature, has attained 
its full size. | 
SEGUIERIA. Linn. 
Perigonium calycinum, quinquepartitum, laciniis parum inæqualibus, æstiva- 
tione imbricativa, 2 exterioribus, 3 interioribus, per anthesin reflexis. 
