18 Mr. J. Miers on the Menisperaiacese. 



longitudinal suture corresponding with a narrow semiseptum, 

 which renders them 2-locellate. We may perceive in the above 

 peculiar characters some analogy towards Parabana and Syrrho- 

 nema, from which genera it differs in many respects. 



I have here described two species, one of which Dr. Eichler 

 has made a third species of his genus Sychnosepalum ; but I 

 have shown^ under my description of the latter genus, how much 

 dissimilarity exists between them : it differs in its habit, its sub- 

 peltate leaves, its inflorescence and the structure of its flowers. 

 The Somphoxijlon of the same botanist is at variance with De- 

 tandra only in its more expanded panicle, minute flowers, and 

 the smaller number of its sepals (frequently an inconstant 

 character) ; it agrees in the number, shape, and relative size of 

 the petals, and exactly in its three monadelphous stamens. 



The species of Detandra have somewhat oval, subpeltate, 

 coriaceous, 5-nerved leaves, which are glabrous and polished 

 above, pale and tomentose beneath, on rather slender petioles : 

 the inflorescence is a panicle shorter than the petiole, with short 

 alternate branches, each bearing one to three alternate pedi- 

 cellated flowers ; the flower has fifteen to eighteen closely 

 imbricated sepals becoming gradually smaller externally (the 

 upper moiety of the six interior and larger ones expanding 

 horizontally, as in Chondodendrum), six petals in two series, 

 which are oblong or lanceolate, unguiculated at the base, and 

 entire or denticulated on the margin ; the stamens are already 

 described. 



Detandra, nob. — Flores dioici. Masc. Sepala 14-17, in or- 

 dine ternario ad torum subcylindricum imbricatim disposita, 

 quorum 2-5 exteriora minutissima et bracteiformia, 6 inter- 

 media ovato-oblonga et extus pilosiora, 6 interiora cuneato- 

 oblonga, cum apicibus rotatim reflexis, omnia extus leviter 

 tomentella et ciliolata. Petala 6, biseriata, subaequalia, sepalis 

 dimidio breviora, unguiculato-oblonga vel lanceolata, erecta, 

 glabra. Stamina 3, alte monadelpha, petalis longiora; fila- 

 menta in columnam centralem fere ad summum coalita, apice 

 hinc crassiuscule et brevissime trifurca; antherce bilobfe, lobis 

 ovatis, majusculis, segregatis et in filamentum lateraliter 

 semiimmersis, connectivo intermedio paululo excurreute, bi- 

 locellatis, 2-valvatis, rima longitudinali dehiscentibus. — Fl. 

 fcem. ignoti. 



Frutices Brasilienses scandentes ; rami striati, ad axillas cupuloso- 

 nodosi ; folia alterna, petiolata, suhpeltata, ovata vel ovato- 

 oblonga, imo rotundata vel sinu levi subtruncata, Integra, co- 

 riacea, ^-nervia, supra glabra, subtus pallide tomeniosa : pani- 

 pula axillaris, petiolo brevior, tomentosa, alternatim ramosa. 



