ON THE FRUIT OF TECOMA GRANDIFLORA. 69 



generations. In Characece the non-sexaal generation is altogether 

 suppressed. In Phanerogams (at all events in those Angiosperms 

 which are altogether destitute of endosperm) we have i^recisely 

 the opposite phenomenon of the complete supx3ression of the sexual 

 generation, the coalescence of the male and female elements taking 

 place within the non-sexually produced embryo-sac of the ovule 

 which corresponds to the spore. 



ON THE FKUIT OF TECOMA GRANDIFLOEA, Delaun. 



By H. F. Hance, Ph. D., &c. 



The fruit of Tecoma grandiflora, Delaun., is, according to the 

 'Genera Plantarum,' quite unknown to European botanists; and 

 Mr. Bentham, who revised the order Bignoniacece for that work, 

 questions the Campsis adrepens of Loureiro being the same, owing 

 to his erroneous character ; though I believe there is no doubt on 

 the point, as DeCandolle apparently saw Loureiro's specimen ; 

 the plant bears the Chinese name given by him. Ling siu ot Ling silt, 

 {Lim sieu, as he writes it), — and there is nothing else resembling 

 the character he assigns the genus known from these regions. 

 At the request of the late Dr. Seemann I sent him specimens 

 several years ago, but he appears never to have used them. It 

 may therefore be as well here to note the characters. Capsula 

 sublignosa, lineari-oblonga, recta v. subfalcata, glaberrima, maturi- 

 tate fusco-castanea, levis, S^-5 poll, longa, semipoUicem lata, apice 

 obtusa, basi sensim in stipitem ancipitem 1-1^ poll, longum 

 angustata, loculicide dehiscens ; valvis post dehiscentiam immuta- 

 tis, dorso rotundatis, marginibus in carinam semilinealem productis ; 

 septo valvis contrario, coriaceo, basi longe attenuate, medio per 

 totam longitudinem nervis duabus elevatis approximatis percurso, 

 juxta margines vix punctate. Semina pluriseriata, paulo intra 

 septi margines adfixa ; nucleo triangulari-subcordato, ala hyalina 

 erosa eo duplo latiore marginato ; hilo inconspicuo. 



The fi-uit differs from that of T. radiccms, Juss., as described 

 and figured by Bm^eau,-'' by its greater size, much longer stipes, 

 absence of beak, and by the septum wanting the little dots on its 

 edges, which however shows scars here and there, and are always 

 studded by minute abortive seeds. 



I do not understand what Mr. Bentham means, by calling 

 the convex capsule- valves of T. radicayis ' dorso carinatae.' f The 

 remark too, under the section Pandorea, 'flores quam in praecedent- 

 ibus minores,' is not applicable to T. jasminoides, Lindl., the 

 flowers of which are decidedly larger than those of T. (Tecomaria) 

 capevsis, Lindl. 



* * Moiiogr. des Jiignoniacees,' 48, t. 14, 

 -f- ' Gen. Plant.; ii. 1U45. 



