408 DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA. Gastouia. 



Petioles often as long as the leaves ; base somewhat 

 sheathing with one bidentate, acute, stipulary process 

 on the inside ; from thence to the thickened incurved apex 

 columnar, and armed with small prickles ; which are 

 more numerous about the apex, and ramentaceous. Pa- 

 nicles axillary and terminal, composed of a few, lon^-pe- 

 duncled, simple umbellets ; the whole much shorter 

 than the leaves. Involucres a few, ensiform, feruginous 

 scales. Bracies solitary at the division of the panicles, 

 sheathing, tapering, acute, feruginous. Flowers numer- 

 ous, pretty large, white. Calyx superior, small, with a sub- 

 truncate margin, being only obscurely marked with from 

 eight to ten denticles, clothed on the outside with meally 

 feruginous down. Petals from eight to ten, generally ten, 

 lanceolate, spreading. Filaments from eight to ten, gene- 

 rally ten, alternate with the petals, and about the same 

 length, or rather longer. Anthers of two very distinct 

 linear-oblong lobes, which separate more at the base. 

 Germ turbinate, from eight to ten-celled, with one ovula 

 in each cell, attached to the top of the axis. Style short, 

 conic, from eight to ten grooved, permanent. Stigma con- 

 cave, with its margin marked with as many elevations, 

 as there are cells in the germ. Berry or capsule, nearly 

 round, crowned with the remaining calyx, the size of a nut- 

 meg, somewhat mealy, thin, and of a soft ligneous tex- 

 ture, from eight to ten-celled, evalvular (never, by any 

 mode yet observed, opening spontaneously ) Seed soli- 

 tary, conform to the cell, consequently very thin, parti- 

 cularly the inner edge. Perisperm conform to the seed. 

 Embryo inverse. Cotyledons two, lanceolate. Radicle 

 oblong, superior. 



2. G. sasuroides. R. 

 Unarmed. Leaves simple. 



A native of the Moluccas, and nearly allied to Rum- 

 phius's Sasuru or Pseudo-sandalum, vol. 2. 1. 12. Here the 



