126 MR. BENTHAM ON TWO NEW GENERA OF BRAZILIAN PLANTS. 



portions of branch bearing them are in my specimens detached from those which have the 

 leaves. But besides that Mr. Spruce is far too careful a collector for me to suspect any- 

 accidental mismatching, the bark and wood of the flowering portions perfectly correspond 

 with those of the leafy ones. 



Brachynema. 



Char. Gen. — Calyx cupuliformis, subinteger, post anthesin accrescens. Corolla infundibularis, tubo 

 elongate, laciniis 5 crassis lanceolatis patentibus, jestivatione valvato-subcontorta. Stamina 5, brevia, 

 ima basi corollie v. cum corolla toro inserta, laciniis coroUse alternantia ; filamento brevi dilatato ; 

 anthera extrorsa, biloculari, connectivo apiculata, loculis longitudinaliter dehiscentibus. Ovarium 

 sessile, 5-loculare. Stigma subsessile, S-lobulatum. Ovula in loculis solitaria, pendula. Fructus 

 (drupaceus ?), pericarpio tenui, endocarpio crustaceo intus fibroso, unilocularis, monospermus. Semen 

 lata basi affixum, sulcato-striatum, testa tenui arete adnata. Albumen cartilagineum. Embryo 

 ignotus (v. embryo crasso-carnosus exalbuminosus indivisus?). 

 Species unica B. uamiflorum. Arbor, teste R. Spruce, gracilis, 30-pedalis. Rami subteretes, ligno duro, 

 cortice scabriusculo. Folia sparsa, exstipulata, ineequalia, ovato-oblonga, anguste acuminata, Integra 

 V. obsolete sinuata, basi cuneata, membranacea, glabra, utrinque viridia, penninervia et transverse 

 venosa, costa nervisque subtus prominentibus. Petioli majorum 4-6-pollicares, apice leviter inflexi 

 et quasi articulati, minorum vix pollicares. Lamina majorum fere pedalis, 5 poll, lata, minorum vix 

 4-pollicaris. Nervi primarii a costa utrinque 6-8, versus marginem arcuate et irregulariter con- 

 fluentes, hinc inde juxta marginem ramulum emittentes in margine ipso glandula parva terminantem ; 

 duo infimi oppositi, margini paralleli. Flores in ramos annotinos v. vetustiores ex axillis foliorum 

 delapsorum nascentes, fasciculis subcymosis, 5-15-floris, sessilibus, ebracteatis. Pedicelli cras- 

 siusculi, vix lineam longi. Calyx per anthesin cupuliformis, 1| lin. latus. Corollae tubus 7-S lin. 

 longus, extus zonis transversis intensius coloratis variegatus ; limbi lacinise crasso-triquetrae, patentes 

 v. recurvse, intus linea longitudinali pilorum intra tubum plus minus decurrente notatfe. Staminum 

 filamenta antheris breviora; pollen e granulis minutis globosis compositum. Ovarium crassum, 

 subglobosum, vertice depresso-umbilicatum. Stigma pulviniforme, lobulis brevissimis subemar- 

 ginatis. Fructus in specimine depresso-globosus, 6-8 lin. diametro. 

 Hab. In Brasilia boreali ad cataractas fluminis Aripecuru, in fl. Amazonum juxta Obidos fluentis 

 {R. Spruce). 



2. Phoxanthijs heterophtlltjs. (Tab. XXIII., XXIV.) 

 Of the other genus, for which I propose the name of Phoxanthtis, in allusion to the 

 long pointed petals giving a tapering conical form to the bud, Mr. Spruce's specimens 

 afford ample materials for a full illustration. In the first hasty determination for the 

 purposes of distribution, struck by the linear petals with stamens opposite to their dilated 

 base, and some other points of resemblance with Aublet's figure of Mayepea, I had 

 thought it probably a second species of that genus (which had already been referred to 

 Linociera), and I accordingly labelled it Linociera {Mayepea) heterophylla. But a closer 

 examination showed that I was in error. In the first place, Aublet's figure is incorrect. 

 His specimen in the British Museum has opposite, not alternate, leaves, and from Dr. 

 Solander's notes it appears that there are two, not four, stamens, and that it is altogether 

 a true Linociera. If therefore Aublet's dissections, especially fig. 4 of his Plate (t. 31), 

 represent what he reaUy saw, he must have had some flowers of Fhoxanthus mixed up 

 with those of his Mayepea, and have confotinded the two plants. Further, I find that 

 Mr. Spruce's plant has not generally four petals, as was accidentally the case in a flower I 



