109 



with its thin, large, foliaceous cotyledons, and its sliort radicle 

 turned upwards towards the hilum. 



This appears to be a very rare plant, since I do not recol- 

 lect seeing it except in one spot, and that was in a sandy soil, 

 twining among hedges at Vellenganny, bearing both flower 

 and fruit in the month of November. Some of the stems were 

 upwards of 10 feet high, yet their greatest thickness did not 

 exceed that of my finger. 



[I have borne testimony to the fidelity of the above descrip- 

 tion, by an accurate analysis of the flowers, both male and 

 female, and fruit. Dr. Wight has added in his MSS., " The 

 plant appears to constitute a new genus, but it will probably 

 rank in the Nat. Order among the Amentacece or Urticece, 

 and in the character of its flowers it approaches Nageia." — 

 As to its genus, I quite agree with my valued friend that it 

 does form one distinct from any yet described, and since it 

 was sent to me without a name, I have ventured to call it 

 Pyrenacantha, from the remarkable spinous processes which 

 line the inside of the nut. In regard to its Natural Order, it 

 behoves me, like Dr. Wight, to speak with great caution. 

 In habit and in its milky juice, it approaches near to some 

 EuphorbiacecB ; but neither its fruit nor its flowers con-espond 

 with any of that family. In the circumstance of the two in- 

 verted ovules, and, indeed, in the general character of the 

 fruit, it resembles Stilago : but its stamens are totally 

 different, and they alternate with the divisions of the calyx, 

 instead of being opposite to them. These, however, seem to 

 me to be the only essential points of distinction; and hence, 

 though doubtfully, I have marked it as belonging to the Nat. 

 Ord. StilaginecB of Agardh and Lindley. — H.~\ 



SuFPL. Tab. IX. Pyrenacantha volubilis ; masc, Fig. 1, 

 Portion of the spike of male flowers : — magnijied. 



Tab. X. Pyrenacantha volubilis; fcem., Fig. 1, Portion 

 of a female plant: — natural size. Fig. 2, Female flower. 

 Fig. 3, Pistil. Fig. 4, Section of do. Fig. 5, Portion of 

 a female plant in fruit, and Jig. 6, Nut, from the drupe : — 

 natural size. Fig. 7, Inner view of the testa: — slightly 



