204 floka indica. [Menispermacete. 



its resemblance to a plant fouud by ourselves in the Khasia hills, in fruit only. This 

 we have described below, as a second species. 



Mr. Miers considers that the peculiar structure of the filaments of Fibraurea is 

 due to their being enveloped by, aud consolidated, as it were, into one mass with the 

 petals. We have sought in vain, however, for any evidence of the accuracy of this 

 view, in the structure of the filament or the mode of insertion of the anther, and 

 are therefore disposed to regard the flowers as truly apetalous. 



According to Loureiro, the wood of this genus yields a yellow dye, which is per- 

 manent, but not bright ; it is also used as a dye in Borneo, according to Mottley. 



In Fibraurea tinctoria the wood is firm, shrinks very little, and the stems remain 

 cylindrical when dry. Bark formed of several layers of papery epidermis, beneath 

 which is a dense zone of closely packed, transparent, woody cubical cells, with very 

 small cavities. The wood-zone is formed of about twenty narrow wedges, separated 

 by narrow medullary rays : the latter consist of a very dense cellular tissue of thick 

 woody cells, that form a complete indurated mass surrounding the pith and wood, 

 and appear to be confluent with the liber, but are not so. The liber-bundles aire 

 isolated, small, and placed in contact with the cambium- layers. The pith is loose 

 and spongy in the centre, becoming firmer, denser, and woody towards the medullary 

 rays. 



1. P. tinctoria (Lour. Fl. Coch. Chin. ed. WilkL 769) ; foliis ova- 

 libus ovatis vel oblongis obtuse acuminatis coriaceis, ttoribus panicu- 

 latis. — Cocculus Fibraurea, DC. Syst. i. 525, Prod. i. 99. 



Hab. In Malaya ad Penang, Phillips! et Malacca, Griffith! — (v.s.) 

 Distrjb. Cochin China, Loureiro; Borneo, Mottley! 



Frutex alte scandens, glaberriinus, cortice cinereo vel albido laxo rugoso, ramulorum 

 nitido subvelutino. Folia 4-7 poll, longa, 2-4 lata, petiolo 1^-3-pollicari striato 

 subangulato, utrinque glaberrima, supra lucida, subtus pallida, crasse coriacea, basi 

 triplinervia, marginibus in sicco subreflexis. Panicula axillares, a basi ramosae, ra- 

 mosissiinse, multiflorse, foliis breviores vel longiores. Alabastri globosi. Flores 

 (tide Loureiro albi) bracteolis 2 minutis calyci adpressis stipati. Sepala glabra, 

 dorso puberula, carnosula, margine tenuia. Panicula fructifera elongata, in spec, 

 fere pedalis, pedunculis strictis lignosis i-1-pollicaribus. Drupa pollicares, ex Lou- 

 reiro flava?. 



In the Benthamian Herbarium a few detached drupes accompany a specimen from 

 Malacca, but they are empty. The specimens before us are considered by Mr. Miers 

 to belong to three species, all different from that of Loureiro. AVe have, on the con- 

 trary, no doubt that all belong to one, and we think that Loureiro's description agrees 

 well enough with the specimens to make it probable that they are the same. The 

 specimen in the British Museum from that author is very imperfect, and scarcely 

 determinable ; it has neither flower nor fruit. 



2. P.? Haematocarpa (H.f. et T.) ; foliis oblongis obtuse acu- 

 minatis crasse coriaceis inargine recur vis, pedunculis fructus axillaribus 

 abbreviatis, drupis obovato-oblongis atro-purpureis stipitatis. 



Hab. In montibus Khasia ! — (v. v.) 



Frutex scandens, cortice cinereo vel pallido striatulo. Folia (in specimine solitario) 

 3 poll, longa, If lata, petiolo cylindrico gracili f-pollicari, pallide viridia, subtus al- 

 bida, basi triplinervia, carterum penninervia, nervis basilaribus ad apicem usque ex- 

 teusis et cum lateralibus arcus formantibus. Racemi fructus 1-3 pollicares, vestigia 

 1-5 florum gerentes. Torus fructus globosus, cicatricibus magnis 4-6 notatus. 

 JDrupce totidem, pcdicello crasso -^-pollicari stipitatse, obovato-oblongse, utrinque ro- 

 tundaUe, Ueves, parum oblique, styli cicatrice basilari notatee, 1^—2 poll, longa*. 

 Sarcocarpium e stratis 2 compositum, exterius dense carnosum, sanguineum, inte- 

 rius fibrosam pallidius, tibrillis e putamine ortis. Putamen tenue, crustaceum, bicrure, 



