[ 295 ] 
XXII. On the genus Henriquezia of Spruce. By GEORGE BeNTHAM, Esq., V.P.L.S. 
Read February 3rd, 1859. 
THis genus is one of the many interesting new ones discovered by Mr. Spruce in 
Northern Brazil and Venezuela. Some years since, I published the first species received 
from him, in the 6th vol. of Sir W. Hooker’s Kew Journal of Botany; but at that time 
the fruit was not known. Since then Mr. Spruce has transmitted fine flowering specimens 
of a second species, and fruits of two more, which, from their foliage, appear to be distinct 
from the flowering ones. I am thus enabled to complete the generic character, and to lay 
before the Society the accompanying illustrations from the artistic and accurate pencil of 
Mr. Fitch. 
It will be observed that these trees have stipules, an inferior ovary, and five perfect, 
nearly equal stamens; and yet they undoubtedly belong to the family of Bignoniacee. 
The affinity which I formerly alluded to, with Platycarpum of Humboldt and Bonpland, 
is fully confirmed by these specimens, as well as by one or two fruiting specimens of the 
true Platycarpum gathered on the Orenoco by Mr. Spruce, which show that that genus 
also has stipules, although, as in the first-received specimens of Henriquezia, they had 
not been observed, being very deciduous. In Platycarpum the ovary is figured as supe- 
rior. I have not seen the flowers; but on the fruit there is an external scar at the base, 
which shows that there had been a partial adherence to the calyx. In Henriquezia the 
ovary at the time of flowering is entirely below the adherent part of the calyx. After 
fecundation it gradually emerges, and the ripe fruit shows about its centre a transverse 
convex line or scar left by the free part of the calyx on falling off. The fruit is nearly 
flat and hard as in Platycarpum, but much larger and more woody ; and instead of open- 
ing out vertically in four valves which remain attached by the central line formed by the 
axial entire dissepiment, it opens horizontally to a little below the middle in two entire 
valves, down the centre of each of which, in the inside, is a raised line, being the remains 
of the dissepiment. In each cell are four large flat seeds, remarkable, at least in Mr. 
Spruce's specimens, for their tendeney to germinate whilst the capsule is yet Ravi i" 
the tree,—the radicle lengthening out, twisting round the seeds, and forming un : 
network, the origin of which was very puzzling till I had carefully soaked the an 
traced it out. : po 
The genus, as I stated in the above-mentioned article, was dedicated by Mr. Spruce to 
Senhor Henriquez Antonij, a native of Leghorn, but for more than thirty years settled at 
the Barra do Rio Negro, where he has constantly rendered every csi rt 
and other travellers during that period. The species are all described as t gr 
L Th 2 4 h 
beauty, , and some of them of considerable size. The following are the technical cha- 
racters :— : 
