168 ORD. VII. Sarmentacece. CISSAMPELOS PAREIRA. 
Class Diocecia. Ord. Monadelphia: Lin. Gen. Plant. 1138, 
Ess. Gen. Ch. Masc. Cal. A-phyllus.. Cor.0.. Neéarium rotatum. 
Stam. 4: filamentis connatis, 
Fem. Cal. monophyllus, ligulato-subrotundus. Cor, 0. 
Styli 3. Bacca 1-sperma. 
Sp. Ch. C. foliis peltatis cordatis emarginatis. 
THE root is perennial, long, thick, woody, composed of distinct 
fibres, of a dull yellowish hue, and covered with furrowed bark of 
a brown colour: the stalks are numerous, shrubby, slender, very 
long, covered with a whitish bark, and climb round the neigh- 
bouring trees for support :* the leaves are roundish, indented at the 
top, about an inch and a half long, two inches broad, entire, covered 
with soft downy hairs,» and hang upon round simple downy foot- 
stalks, which are inserted into the back of the leaf: the flowers are 
extremely minute, of a greenish colour, placed in clusters upon 
jong axillary spikes, and are male and female in different plants: 
the calyx of the male flower is divided i into four small oval segments: 
it has n | nous: 
the filaments are four, very brid united, and furnished with broad. 
flat anthere: of the female flower the calyx is strap-shaped or 
ligulated: the germen is roundish, and supports three short styles, 
furnished with pointed stigmata: the fruit is a small one-celled 
berry, containing a roundish rough compressed seed. It is a native 
of South America and the West indies, 
The plant, which we have here represented, was drawn from'a 
dried specimen in the possession of Mr. Aiton at Kew, to which a 
separate display of the parts of fructification was intended to have 
* In Jamaica “ this plant. grows in great plenty, commonly amongst the ebony — 
trees, climbing about them.” Long’s Jam. vol. iii. p- 760. 
> From this villous covering of the leaf, it is usually called Velvet leaf. 
