A NEW FIJIAN HEDYCARIA. 83 
About Caracas, I have as yet met with the following three Papayacee 
only, viz. Papaya vulgaris, De Cand. ; Vasconcellea cauliflora, De Cand. 
(conf. Journ. of Bot. iii. 310) ; and Vasconcellea microcarpa, De Cand. 
Of the last species I have seen the fruit only, which is truly 5-celled ; 
whilst the shape of the fruit and the seeds are exactly as described in 
the * Prodromus." 
Carácas, Venezuela, January 1, 1866. 
A NEW FIJIAN HEDYCARIA. 
By Pror. Asa GRAY. 
l. Hedycaria dorstenivides, sp. nov.; foliis fere membranaceis 
ovatis oblongisve plerumque integerrimis longius petiolatis; racemis 
terminalibus 5—7-floris; receptaculo cum perigonio peltato-disciformi 
margine subintegerrimo, masculo glabro supra antheris in numeris 
dense vestito, connectivi apice dilatato truncato quam loculi angusti 
latiore; fructifero supra pubescente; drupis haud stipitatis. 
ar. B. denticulata ; foliis membranaceis rariter dentatis vel denti- . 
culatis. 
Has. Sandal-wood Bay, Fiji Islands; with broadly ovate, also 
Vanua Levu, with oblong leaves, all entire. Samoan Islands; mostly 
with larger and thinner, ovate-oblong leaves, sometimes toothed 
ar. B. 
The peculiarity of the species is in the flat, disk-shaped, Dorstenia- 
like male (and I suppose also female) receptacle, the lobes or calycine 
part of which is reduced to obscure crenatures, and in the truncate- 
dilated tip of the connective of the anther, resembling that of most 
Anonacee. 
I have from the Fiji Islands imperfect specimens of what I take may 
be a new genus of Monimiacee-Atherospermee, with alternate entire 
fruit, the milk runs forth abundantly ; it » then of a bluish-white colour, and 
of a very s smell. It congeals almos t instantly, forming a kind of trans- 
parent gelatine, which has no irn but an’ acrid, burning tas taste. This sub- 
stance is soluble in alcohol. Mr. Feustell, of this town, town, is engaged in making 
a careful chemical analysis of the milk, The vernacular name, * Lechoso” 
Ge e. containing milk), is of a comparatively recent date; Gumila, Caulin, and 
all the writers of the last century call the tree Papaya. 
