Dr Balfom"'s Descripfion of Bare Plcinfs. 189 



Curt. Bot. Mag., pi. 497. Lodd. Bot. Cab., pi. 172.— 

 Nat. Ord. Simarubaceae. 



In the April number of this Journal a description was given of the 

 Quassia plant in the Botanic Garden, in so far as regards its 

 stem, branches, leaves, and flower-buds. At the time the de- 

 scription was written, there seemed to be no prospect of any 

 flowers expanding, for they fell off in the state of bud. By 

 bending the branches, however, Mr M'Xab has succeeded in 

 making the plant send out several recemes, the flowers of which 

 have come to perfection, and I am thus enabled to add a descrip- 

 tion of the flower, along with a characteristic drawing. 



Flowers of a scarlet colour, in terminal bracteated racemes. Pe- 

 duncle terminal, about 2 inches in length, dark crimson, covered 

 with small, acute, dark-coloured, hairy bracts, the lower ones 

 empty, upper ones bearing each a pedicellate flower. Pedicels 

 about yip of an inch in length, as long as the bracts, which 

 are recurved at the apex ; a contraction occurs where the flower 

 is attached to the pedicel. Peduncles, pedicels, and bracts have 

 scattered hairs. Calyx dark crimson, bibracteolate at the base ; 

 limb divided into five small, rounded, ovate segments, which are 

 toothed at the margin. Corolla brig' '. crimson, contorto-im- 

 bricate in ajstivation, when fuUy deverO;^ d still retaining a 

 twisted appearance. Petals 5, with scattered hairs outside, more 

 or less imbricated, and often slightly rolled in at the margin, 

 rather more than an inch in length, ovate-lanceolate, blunt at the 

 apex, curved at the lower part, where, by their apposition, they 

 form a sort of sac. Stamens 10, longer than the corolla ; fila- 

 ments about 1 J inch in length, of a pink colour, each with a white, 

 scale-like, curved, hairy appendage at its base ; anthers versatile, 

 dithecal, lobes separated at the base, introrse, with longitudinal 

 dehiscence ; pollen trigonous, with 3 points where the intine pro- 

 trudes. Ovary consisting of 5 united but easily separable car- 

 Yieh, supported on a large discoid gynophoie, the lower part of 

 which is adherent to the calycine tube. The 5 styles which pro- 

 ceed from the carpels are twisted together, and become blended 

 so as to form at the upper part a single style, ending in a lobed 

 and discoid blunt stigma ; ovule solitary in each carpel, suspended, 

 anatropal ; embryo exalbuminous. Fruit (not perfect in the 

 plant in the garden, and described therefore from a dried speci- 

 men communicated by Dr Christison) consists of five drupes 

 spreading out horizontally from the gynophore, occasionally one 

 or more are abortive ; each drupe when dried is surrounded by a 

 keel, which is very prominent on the upper side ; epicarp dark- 

 brown, with projecting reticulated veins. Seed suspended from 

 the inner angle of the drupe. Embryo exalbuminous, cotyledons 

 fleshy, radicle superior. 



Explanation of the Drawing. 

 The drawing (Plate III.) has been executed by Mr James M'Nab, the 

 Superintendent of the Botanic Garden. 



1. Flowering branch, with impari-pinnate leaf and winged petiole. 



