1853.] Linnean Society. 257 



November 15. 



Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Read a Notice " On Hodgsonia, Hook. fil. et Thorns., a new and 

 remarkable genus of Cucurbitacea." By Dr. J. D. Hooker, F.R.S., 

 F.L.S. &c., and Dr. ITiomas Thomson, F.L.S. &c. 



Hodgsonia. 



Char. Gen. — Fl. Mas. Calycis tubus elongatus, post anthesin de- 

 ciduus, 5-gonus, angulis dentibusve incrassatis recurvis. Petala 5, 

 flavida, gamopetala, calycis limbo adnata, obovato-cuneata, patentia, 

 apice truncata, fimbriato-lobata ; lobis longissimis tortis, pendulis. 

 Stamina 5, triadelpha. Antherce monadelph^, extrorsae ; loculis 

 linearibus contortis. 



Fl. Fcem. Calyx basi ovario sphasrico adhserens, superne longe tubulosus, 

 marl omnino similis, intus disco spongioso. Corolla maris. Ovarium 

 l-loculare. Placentce 3, parietales, basin versus utrinque 2-avulataj ; 

 ovulis ascendentibus, anatropis. Stylus elongatus, tubum calycis asquans. 

 Stiyma 3-lobum, lobis superne emarginatis. Bacca depresso-globosa, 

 magna, obscure 5-sulcata, pulpa indurata demum sicca repleta. Semina 

 per paria in nuces 6 arete accreta, altero minore plerumque effceto. 

 Testa lignosa, basi fissa (rima elongata), profunde longitudinaUter re- 

 ticulatim sulcata ; epidermide vascular! in sidcos penetrants tecta. 

 Endopleurum crassissimum, suberosum. Embryo esalbuminosus ; coty- 

 ledones magni, plani ; plumula lobata. 



Frutex alte scandens. Caulis ramosiis, sulcatus, succo aqueo copioso 

 scatens, vasis maynis aire repletis percursus. Folia alterna, semper- 

 virentia, coriacea, 3-5-palmatiloba. Flores mayni, extus rufohrunnei 

 puberuli, intzis pallide straminei villosi ; masculi spicati basi bracteati ; 

 foeminei axillares solitarii (v. ex cl. Roxburgh) in racemum brevem 

 dispositi. Petioli elonyafi, basi versus axillam yemmd ? corned conicd 

 stipulteformi suffulti. Cirrhi laterales, 2--o-fidi. 



Hodgsonia heteroclita, Hook.Jil. et Thorns. 



Trichosantbes heteroclita, Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. p. 705 ; Wall. Cat. no. 6684 ! 



T. grandiflora, Wall. Cat, no. 6685 ! non Blume. 



An T. hexasperma v. T, macrocarpa, Blume, Bijdr. p. 935 ? 



Hab. in sylvis densis montium inferiorum Sikkim Himalayee (ad 5500 ped. 



ascendens) ; Assam j Mont. Khasia, Silhet, Chittagong, Penang, Java? 



—-V. V. n. 



A very remarkable plant, one of the handsomest and most curious 

 of the whole natural family, with the inflorescence and flower of 



