362 Mr. J. Miers on the Menispermacese. 



each extremity, plane and glabrous; three stamens somewhat 

 shorter than the petals, united for two-thirds of their length 

 into a central column, leaving their extremities free, somewhat 

 divaricated, broad, compressed, bearing two anther-cells at their 

 apex inside, which are dorsally attached, collateral, separated by 

 a narrow space, each opening introrsely by a longitudinal furrow. 

 The genus agrees with Desmoneina in its three monadelphous 

 stamens, but diflFers in their anthers being quite introrse, in 

 having nine equal sepals, in its more compound raceme, in the 

 very distinct character of its leaves, and a completely dissimilar 

 habit. It differs also from other genera with three monadel- 

 phous stamens by the characters enumerated under Desmonema. 



Rhaptonema, nob. — Flores dioici. Masc. Sepala 9, in ordine 

 ternario alternatim disposita, spathulato-oblonga, sequalia, 

 membranacea, extus pilosa, intus glabra, sestivatione imbri- 

 cata, demum rotatim expansa. Petala 6, biseriata, oblonga, 

 subacuta, sepalis fere tertio parte breviora, plana, submem- 

 branacea, glabra, nervo medio fusco signata. Stamina 3, mo- 

 nadelpha, petalorum longitudine; filamenta ultra medium in 

 columnam centralem coalita, sursum libera, complanata, paulo 

 divaricata ; antherce omnino introrsse, dorso adnatse, 2-lob8e, 

 lobis ovatis, paulo dissitis, parallelis, sulco longitudinali de- 

 hiscentibus. 



Suffrutex Madagascariensis, suhhumilis, ramosus ; ramuli suh- 

 tenues, tomentosi ; folia oblonga, imo rotundata, apice obtusa, 

 penninervia, nervis inter se ubique anastomosantibus, hinc 

 grosse 7'eticulatis, supra subpilosa, subtus pubescentia, petiolo 

 tenui, subbrevi : paniculis (J racemosis, in axillis supremis soli- 

 tariis, hinc fere terminalibus , ramis brevibus, alternatis, flores 

 1-3 brevissime pedicellatus gerentibus ; flos parvus. 



The specific characters of this plant will be given in my 

 ' Contributions to Botany.' 



Rhaptonema cancellata, nob. — In Madagascar : v. s. in herb. Hook, 

 loc. cit. (Gerard, 18). 



62. SOMPHOXYLON. 



This genus was established by Dr.Eichler, in Martius's ' Floi'a 

 Brasiliensis,' upon a scandent plant from Dutch Guiana ; but 

 its characters are not all fully known. One of its peculiari- 

 ties, which suggested its generic name, is that its wood is 

 extremely soft and spongiose. Its leaves are rather large, 

 6-9 inches long, 4—7^ inches broad, on a petiole 4 inches long, 

 somewhat penninerved and glabrous. The ^J infloi'escence is a 

 widely spreading panicle, 3 feet long, \\ foot broad, with its 



