MiersiancB. N. O. Burmanniaceae. 



TAB. CCLIV. 



Apteria orobanchoides 



Aphylla, squamis ovatis hyalinis longissime ciJiatis, floribus race- 

 mosis nutantibus urceolatis. 



Dictyostegia orobanchoides. Miers msL — Gardner^ Herb. Braz. 

 n. 842. 



Hab. Shady woody ranges of the Corcovado raountain.s in the 



vicinity of Rio de Janeiro, on decaying timber, at an elevation 



of 2000 feet. Mr Miers. 



Z2arf/a;subfusiformis, fibrosa. Caulis erectus subsimplex, spitha- 



maeus fere ad pedalem, teres, squamosus, albus ; squamis ovatis 



appressis, membranaceisj reticulatis, longissime ciliatis. Race" 



mus terminalis, simplex vel furcatus, pluriflorus, floribus urceo- 



latis, nutantibus, bracteatis. Perianthium superum, 6-fidum, 



segmentis ovatis, erectis, interioribus (sen petalis) minoribus. 



Stamina: Filamenta brevissima, crassa, tubo inserta petalisque 



opposita: Antherie loculi laterales, bivalves, transversim dehis- 



centes. Ovarium subglobosum: Stylus brevis : Stigmata 3, 



patentia, apice dilatata. Capsula subglobosa, unilocularis, 



3-valvis, stylo mucronata: valvis medio piacenliferis, polysper- 



* mis. Semina minutissima, arillo fusiform! reticulata obtecta, 



I am indebted to John Miers, Esq. for the accompanying figure 



and many accurate details respecting this curious plant, which that 



gentleman had no means of knowing to be identical (as it proves 



to be) with the Genus Apteria* of Nuttall in Journ. Acad. Fhilad. 



J 



r. T. 7?. 64. t. 9./. 1. Besides its leafless habit, it differs in the 

 wingless flowers from Bttrmannia; but in other respects the struc- 

 ture is very similar to that Genus. 



Fig. 1, 2. Scales of the stem. /. 3. Flower, f. 4. The same 

 with the perianth laid open. f. 5, 6. Stamens, f. 7. Capsule. 

 f. 8. The same burst open. f. 9. The same cut through trans- 

 versely, f. 10. Seed : — magnified. 



• This, the Apteria setacea of Mr Nuttall, a native of Florida, may be thus 

 characterized : — Aphylla, squamis ovatis nudis, caule simplici vel ramoso, ramis 

 uuifloris, floribus erectis infundibuliformibus. //• 



