JOTTINGS FROM A BOTANICAL NOTE-BOOK. 373 



believe to be the F. sapida, Roxb. The tree, however, has no spines at 

 all. Is this want, perhaps the effect of cultivation, and has it been 

 noticed elsewhere, too ? I do not think the species is strictly dioecious, 

 but polygamous. I never saw any but female flowers, which never- 

 theless produce an abundance of fruit, though there is no male speci- 

 men known to exist in Caracas. The fruit is edible, of a deep vinous 

 colour when ripe, but must be bruised for half a minute between the 

 fingers before it becomes palatable. It is called guinda in Caracas, 

 and was introduced by General J. A. Paez. {Guinda [from giiindar, 

 to hang down] is originally the Spanish name of the fruit of Cerasns 

 caproniana, De Cand.) 



4. Platymiscium polystachium, Benth. ; Seem. Bot. Her. 111. 

 t. xxi. " Roble bianco," i. e. White Oak. — I have seen specimens which 

 agree in every particular with Bentham's short description, and the fine 

 plate in the ' Botany of the Herald.' But others, from the immediate 

 neighbourhood of Caracas, appear to be distinct. The leaves are even, 

 in flowering specimens much larger, 8-10 centim. long, and 5-6 

 broad, and the standard is orbiculate, but distinctly notched at its 

 apex. The fruit is veiy thin and papery, 8 centim, long, 2 J broad; 

 the seed 3-4 centim. by one. The number of racemes, too, is not so 

 large. If a distinct species, it might be called P. ernarginatum. 



5. Passiflora (Sect. Granadilla) multiformis, Jacq. ; De Cand. 

 Prodr. iii. 332. n. 123. — As this species hitherto has not yet been 



fully described, I think the following description of it will prove A 



to be of interest: — Caule scandente tereti, foliis glabris subtus ru- 

 gosulis, basi cordatis simplicibus bi- et trilobatis (superioribus etiam 

 integris) acurainatis minutissime serratis, margine basali inter lobulos 

 macula glandulosa notata, petiolis (3 centim. long.) infra medium bi- 

 glandulosis glandulis sessilibus suboppositis ; stipulis linearibus semi- 

 pollicaribus hinc integris illinc gland uloso-dentatis dentibus 3-4, in 

 caulibus ramisque supra petioluni glandula conica obtusa permagna ; 

 cin'his simplicibus axillaribus; floribus speciosis axillaribus solitariis, 

 involucri foliolis magnis (6-7 centim. long., 3-4 lat.) ovatis acuminatis 

 membranaceis intus viridibus, cxtus roseo-venosis ; calyce carnoso, se- 

 palis infra apicem extus mucronatis (mucrone 8 millim. long.), ibidem vi- 

 ridibus, intus rubro maculatis; pctalis sepalis similibus; corona simplice, 

 filainentis pluriserlalibus rubro-maculatis bicentinietralibus ; filamcntis 

 et pistillo viridibus minute rubro maculatis ; antheris lutcis, contim. 



