50 MR. J. MIERS ON THE FAMILY OF TRIURIACEÆ. 
2, suprá discum minimum inclusum feré sessilia, laciniis alternis opposita; filamenta brevissima ; 
anthere transversim elongate, compresse, quadratim 4-loculares, rimá verticali longitrorsüm 2-valva- 
tim et septicidim hiantes: pollen globosum, irregulariter sub-3-valvatim rumpens. Pistilli rudi- 
mentum nullum.—Fem. Stamina nulla. Ovaria plurima, in capitulum densé aggregata, obovata, 
sessilia, 1-locularia; ovulo solitario, erecto. Stylus lateralis et fer& basilaris, pilis longis clavatis plu- 
mosus, Stigma obconicum, truncatum, piloso-plumosum. Carpidia plurima, baccata, radiatim 
aggregata, obovata, stylo persistente basilari notata, monosperma. Pericarpium siccum, subcoria- 
ceum; semen ovale; festá colorata, nucleoque omninó Sciaphile. 
Herba Amazonica in uliginosis umbrosis indigena, hyalina; rhizomate substolonifero, fibras radicantes hinc 
inde emittente; caule simplici, erecto; foliis paucis, bracteiformibus, alternis, ovatis, acutis, venis desti- 
tutis, celluloso-rugosis ; floribus spicatis, masc. superioribus, fem. inferioribus; pedunculis 1-floris, basi 
bracteatis. 
1. SORIDIUM SPRUCEANUM, Miers. 
Planta subhyalina; rhizomatis fibris elongatis, ciliatis, incanis; caule erecto, sulcato ; foliis paucis, mini- 
mis, adpressis; spicä simplici terminali; floribus faemineis circiter 7, infimis; bracteá lineari, acutá, 
pedicello zequilongá. 
Hab. Parà, ad Caripi in sylvis umbrosis. 
At first sight this plant bears much the habit of Dietyostega orobanchoides. Its rhi- 
zoma appears somewhat stoloniferous, and to creep along the ground, throwing out at 
short, intervals bunches of long hairy rooting fibres, each fibre springing out of a small 
eupuliform node, thus showing its endorhizal structure; the prostráte intervals are of the 
same thickness as the culmiform portion, and bear similar bracteiform leaflets. The spike 
occupies one-third of the length of the single erect stem, which is slender, sulcated, some- 
what flexuose, and from 8 to 10 inches in height; the leaflets are few, and mostly towards 
the base; they are linear, pointed, 11 line long. The bracts are also linear, about the 
length of the pedicels, 1 line long; the flowers expanded measure 2 lines in diameter; the 
ovaria are from twenty to thirty in each of the female flowers, of which there are from five 
to seven at the lower portion of the spike. Although the pericarpial and epicarpial cover- 
ings of the seed are here glued together into one coriaceous mass by the deposition of 
woody matter, yet upon making a longitudinal section, the same nervures, basal support, 
and apical strophiolar process, that form so conspicuous a feature in the arilliform cover- 
ing of Sciaphila, may here be distinctly traced, and the darker-coloured basal support, and 
argc gen adhere so firmly to the testa, that they are with difficulty removed 
m it. | 
. Having thus enumerated the facts connected with the history and structure of these 
ee plants, I will now offer a few remarks upon their affinities. They evidently 
Muse Mag nn and coincide with Triuris in their general habit, their hya- 
growth in dis = rg of any green eolour throughout their substance, their 
dab haec eh = their underground rhizoma, furnished with numerous long 
thay ala t iis probably derive much sustenance from the roots of other plants: 
devoid of woody j& simple erect striated stem, composed chiefly of cellular tissue and 
Y deposit, in their bracteiform veinless leaves, spicate bracteated inflo- 
