248 VANILLACEZ. 
Spicis axillaribus fol. subzequantis plurifariis florigeris, den- 
sifloris, robustis cylindraceis. Bractea concava sublanceolata 
subcarinata subflor. quemque. Ali: vacuz breviores ad basin 
spice. 
Floribus ascendent. patulis, inconspicuis viridescenti-luteis 
(expansos non visi.) Ovarium subrecurvum, post anthesin pa- 
tentissimum, basin album, ceterum glaucum. 
This is a remarkable plant altogether, with the aspect of 
certain Smilacinez.  Folior pagina infera stomatosa tantum 
oblique hanc causam torsionem pedicellam. 
Perianth. szepius labens interdum (ас ob fecundat.) marces- 
cens, insuper ovarium columnaque nunc persistens. Ovarium 
e costatum ! Placentis 6, lineari-angustis. 
The valvation and inflexion of the calyx is remarkable, also 
the keel of the petals which is the only part of these not 
absolutely internal to the sepals, so alsois remarkable the 
union of all these at the base. 
The venation of the column shews, 3 fascicles for the sta- 
mens, three much smaller for the stigmata. 
The placentz are distant from each other, and although 
analogy would point out perhaps that these placentz are the 
placentz of 6-carpellary leaves, because in a compound fruit 
the placentze are always compound, at least at their bases, yet 
it is by no means assuming any thing extraordinary, to sup- 
pose that there are only 3, because Cyrthandrace shews that 
the placenta of a compound fruit may in reality be distinct, 
and it is easy to imagine such a carpellum, big with 
thickened backs, thick edges and the inflections of muci- 
laginous and milky leaves. There is less difference than 
usual between the tissues in opposition to either cutis, a 
transverse section shews none of the usual lacunze ; granules, 
and raphides abound in the leaves. 
The placente being 6, and bifurcated in Vanilla planifolia, 
(see Bauer’s Illustrations.) it is difficult to understand how the 
ovary can be simply ternarily composed. In my plant they 
seem simple, and the only regularity is their being all sepa- 
rated from one another. 
