Plate 1776. 



stichoneuron membranaceum 



ROXBURGHIACEJI. 



Stichoneuron, IIooJc. f. in Benth. 8f Hook. f. Qen. Plant v. iii. p. 747. 

 S. membranaceum, Hook.f. sp. nov. (sp. nnica). — Wall. Cat. 9110, 



absque nomine. 



Hab. Silhet and the Khasia hills in Eastern Bengal; De Silva 

 (Wallich), Griffith, J. D. H. and T. T. 



llerba v. suffrntex glaberrima, 2-3-pedalis, superne ramosa; rid- 

 zomate brevi, nodoso ; cauli gracili nodoso, tereti ; ramulis gracilibus 

 patenti-decurvis, obscure puberulis, basi foliolo parvo lanceolato 

 vaginante instructis. Folia 3-5i-pollicaria, alterna, subdisticha, 

 breviter petiolata, tenniter membranacea, oblongo- v. ovato-lanceolata, 

 acuminata, basi 3-nervia, deinde pinnatim paucinervia, nervulis trans- 

 versis parallelis creberrimis tennissimis ; petiolo y^-poll. longo. Pedunruli 

 axillares, solitarii, stricti, rigiduli, 1-li poll, longi. Flores ad apiccm 

 pednnculi numerosi, minimi, pedicellati, subumbellatim conferti, erect* ; 

 umbellula bractea parva lanceolata instructa; pedicellis £~§ poll. 



en- 



antltium pedicello articnlatnm, ovario obconico adnatnm, subcam- 

 panulatum, 4-fidnm; lobi triangulari-ovati, crassi, patentes, valvati. 

 Stamina 4, basi loboram affixa, iisque longiora ; filamentis crassis ; 

 anther® parvas, loculis discretis basi divergentibns, connectivo obtaso. 

 Ovarium semisuperum, 1-loculare, stigmatibus 3 brevi ssimis obtuse- 

 conicis coronatum ; ovula plurima, ab apice ovarii pendula, funiculo 

 brevi, semianatropa. 



This remarkable plant has long been known in Herbaria as a 

 standing puzzle. Dr. Thomson and I gathered it abundantly in the 

 Khasia mountains in 1850, when I made the analysis here reproduced, 

 but we failed altogether to refer it to its natural family, inclining, 

 however, to regard it as Santalaceons ; nor had the many botanists to 

 whom we distributed specimens been able to determine its affinities. 

 It was reserved for Bentham when working up the Roxburgh*- 

 acece for the ' Genera Plantarum * to detect its alliance to the 

 genus Croomia of Torrey and Gray, though whether this justifies 

 both it and Croomia being placed in the same family with Steino i 

 (Roxburgh ia, Bank.) may be doubted, differing as both these genera 

 do from Stemona so remarkably in habit, perianth, filaments, and 

 pendulous ovules. It is singular that the fruit of Stichoneuron has 



m gathered 

 been direct 



J. I). Hooker. 



Fig. 1. Apex of peduncl and flowers. 2. Bud. 3. and 4. Expanded flo* 

 5. Flower with ovary laid open. 6. Apex of I mien. 7. Pollen. 8. Ovule, longi 

 tudinal section. 9. Ovule. All much enlarged. 



VOL. VIII. T11IKD SEKD 



M 



