Plate 2408. 



COMOROA PISOCARPA, OIii\ 



RuTACE.i:. Tribe Auraxtie.e. 



Comoroa, Oliv, (gen. 7iov,) Flores 4-meri, ut videtur ahortu unl- 

 sexuales. Calyx cupulfformis v. brevifcer campanulcatus, 4-fidus, lobis 

 rotundatis. Petaki hypogyna, 4, oblonga, ohtnsa, basi fiJamentis adnata, 

 lestiv^atione imbricata. ^Stamina isonicraj petalis sequilon^a ; filamenta 

 angusLe linearia, complanata ; anther?e ovate, dorso infra niedium 

 aHixna, longitudinaliter dehiscentes, inappendiculatoe. Pistilhtm (in 

 specc. nostris floriferis) rudimentarium ovoideum in stylum angustatuin, 

 ovario sine cavitate ovulifero, Fructus pisiformis indehiscens (?), sub- 

 globosus, inonospennus, epicarpio teuuiter carnoso, niesocarpio retlcu- 

 latim fibrose, endocarpio tenuiter crustaceo. Semen sine dubio 

 pendulum, exalbuminosuui, cotyledonibus piano convexis, radicula 

 supera, brevissima, truncata. — Arbuscula (?) glahery^ima^ ramis teretihus 

 Icecibiis. Folia alterna, petiolata, itnifoliolata^ lataina hasi articidata^ 

 ohlongo-ovalis^ interdiun aptce leviter acuminaia^ ohtusiuscula^ hasi 

 angnsiaia integra peUucido 'punctata. Floi^es in patiiculis tei'minaJ/ibus 

 V, axiUarihus plurijloris {axillaribus scepius folio multo breviorihus) 

 sessilibus v, brevisdime pedicellatis scepe fasciculatim glomerati ; hrac- 

 teis inmuiis late ovatis. 



Hab. Comoro Islands : Angazija or Great Comoro, collected by 

 natives for Dr. (now Sir) John Kirk. 



This plant has for many years remained undetermined amongst the 

 doubtful Rutacese of tJiis herbarium. Although we do not possess 

 female Qowers, yet with excellent specimens in fruit and others bearing 

 staminate flowers, I think we are justified in naming it. Our leaves 

 are all 1-foliolate witli a conspicuous articulation near the apex of the 

 petiole ; possibly triphyllous forms nuiy occur. A curious point in the 

 floral structure is the adhesion of the base of the petals to the filaments, 

 so that the corolla is quasi-gamophyllous— a rare condition, if indeed it 

 occurs at all in this section of Rutacete, unless it be in Atalantia 

 mo7iophy!Ja^ in which the petals sometimes adhere to the stamina] tube. 

 The rudimentary pistil in the antheriferous Howers is by no means 

 minute, but I find the basal portion solid without trace of cavity or 

 ovules ; it is central and symmetrical. — P. Oliver* 



Fig. 1. Bud. 2. Pistillate flower, petals removed. 3. $. Corolla and stamens. 

 4. Eiidocarp. All adargal. 



