8 PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Nerium. 



which the natives of tlic country where tlic plant throws, 

 use as a subsfitnte for hemp. In steepinij; some of the 

 younf? shoots in a fish pond in order to accelerate the 

 removal of the bark, and cleanins: the fibres, many, if 

 not the whole of the fish were killed, hence the specific 

 name. 



Stem and larger branches lif^neous, and ramble to a vast 

 extent. Young shoots lon^r, round and smooth. Leaves 

 opposite, short-petioled, o'ulongf, taper-obtuse jointed, 

 entire, firm and lucid; about six inches long, by two 

 broad. Panicles terminal, sub-globular ; C(>mposed ola 

 few pairs of brachiate, short, few flowered branches ; all 

 are round and suiooth. Flowers many, larpe. pale yellow, 

 salver-shaped. Bractes oblong, rather (btuse, and small. 

 Calyx five-leaved. Leaflets ovate, smooth. Tube of the 

 corol larger than the five obliquely trapcziform segments 

 of its border, tibbous in the middle where the stamina are 

 lodged. Nectarium consists of five bifid, villous seg- 

 ments, rising from the five fissurss of the border of the co- 

 rol, round the mouth of its tube. Gertn two-lobed, two- 

 celled, with numerous ovula in each, attached to an eleva- 

 tion down the centre of the partition. Style scarce half the 

 length of the tube. Stigma lar!.e, with contracted lifid 

 apex. Follicles ovate-oblong, while fresh very large, by 

 being much inflated or pufled, smooth, obtuse, greenish 

 yellow when ripe. Seed many, thin, oval, >\ith broad 

 membranaceous margin, crowned. Integuments two; ex- 

 terior, soft, smooth, light brown ; interior, rather fleshy 

 while the seeds are recent. Perisperm no other than the 

 interior integuments of the seed. Embryo inverse ; co- 

 tyledons round-cordate, strongly marked with veins. Ra- 

 dicle cylindric, superior. 



C). N. reticulatum. R. 



Shrubby, twining. X^aves oblong, smooth. Tymes ax- 

 illary. Nectarial scales five, wedge-shaped. 



