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Platr 2413. 



LISSOCAEPA BENTHAMI, aUrhe. 



' StYRACE/E 1 ' 



I. Benthami, Gib-ke in Engl, and Pranil, Vjlanzmf., Styracaccce, 

 p. ISO. Arbuscula glaberrinia, foliis breviter petiolatis ovali-oblongis 

 V. oblongo- V. ovato-ellipticis obtusiuscuJis basi cuneatis v. leviter 

 rotundatis coriaceis nitidis tenuiter venosis, floribus sordide luteis in 

 racemis brevibus plurilloris folio multc brevioribus fascicuktim dis- 

 positis, bracteis parvis ovato-rotundatis coriaceis deciduis pedicello brevi 

 sublongioribus, bracteolis geminatis basi ovarii insertis pRrsistentibus, 

 fructibus ovoideis 2-1 -sperniis, pericarpio carnosulo in sicco crustaceo 

 nitido. 



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Hab. South America : Amazonia, near San Carlos, and on the 

 Guainia ; Spruce (Nos. 3108, 3504). 



Arhuscula 18-20-pedaIi3 (Spr.). Folia integerriina subtus opaca 

 4 6 poll, longa, 1^-2| poll, lata ; petiolus ^-l poll, longus. Inflores- 

 centia ^-1 poll longa. Alahastra i-§ poll, longa. Calyx tubo carnoso, 

 m sicco lacunoso v. quasi costato, ovario adnato ; limbo tubo subi«qui- 

 longo, 4-fido, segmentis coriaceis late rotundatis, retusis, a?stivatione 

 contorto-imbricatis. Corolla 4-fida, tubus cylindricus limbo fere 

 lequilongus ; segmenta limbi ovato- v. obovato-elliptica obtusa tempore 

 llorif. patula, in alabaatro erecta, a^stivatione contorto-imbricata. Tub 

 staminiferum epipetalum, apice 8-lobatum, lobis lanceolatis, contorto- 

 imbricatis, breviter exsertis. Antheroi anguste lineares inclusai tubo 

 staminifero ad basin insertie, sequales, quasi-uniseriat;e ; tilamcnta 

 brevissima. Ovarium omnino inferuni, 4-loculare ; ovula in loculis 

 geminatis, pcndulis. Fnictus ^ poll, longus. Semina (in fruct. dis- 

 pernio) plano-convexa ; testa longitudinaliter costata; albumen copiosum 

 corneum ; embryo subteres, albuminc fere diuiidio brevier. 



I have left this remarkable plant where Mr. Benthaui placed it 

 in Styraceai— although I think its affinity may rather be with 

 Ebenacea?, of which it has the general facies and horny albumen. 



mil 



Mr 



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the persistent coriaceous contorted segments of the calyx-limb, not 

 'caJyci impusitus' {Ix. 667), Mr. Bentham has evidently taken the 

 calyculus of paired bractpoles at the base of the fruit for the calyx. 

 The available material in a good state for analysis is, unfortunately, 

 too small to enable me to clear up the relation of what I have called 

 the staminiferous tube to the anthers. I take it, however, that tlie 

 anthers are free from the^tube, though sometimes, in bud, not readily 

 separable. The description giv^en by Herr Giirke would seem to have 

 been taken from the ' Genera,' and not from original observation, or 

 the inaccuracies referred to would have been detected. — D. Oliver, 



Fig. 1. Bud. 2. Longitudinal section of calyx and inferior ovary. 3. Corolla 

 laid open. 4. Antlier. 6. Transverse eoction of ovary, 6. Fruit. 7. Apex of 

 same, showing tlic persistent liiiib of the calyx. 8. Seed. 9. Longitudinal section 

 of same, showing the embryo. Kvccpfing fg, 6, mlargcd. 



