Hewprichia.] xxxvi. burseuaci:.*: (olivkh). 



329 



Specimens under this name are distributed by Dr. Schwciufurth, collected on the coast of 

 Nubia. The leaves are clustered at the extremities of the branches or scattered on barren 

 shoots, all 3-foliolate, more or less shortly or subsrabrid-puhesrent ; leaflets obovate or the 

 smaller lateral ones obliquely ovate, usually obtuse, crenate-serrulate ; the nii-dian 1^2 in. 

 long, narrowed to the petiolule. Calyx 4-fid. pubescent. Petals valvate in a-stivalion. I 

 have not had material for satisfactory analysis of the flower. The fruits arc o\oid-cl<.boft«. 

 puberulous, on peduncles of i-f iu. ; the epicarp tardily sepnratiuj; in 2 4 valves, from the 

 bony, 1-celled, compressed pyrene, at one side of which internally are traces of tlu aborted 

 cell. I do not observe any indication of the dimidiate arilliform layer of the pericarp refcrp-d 

 to by Ehrenberg. This, however, is very conspicuous, surrounding some nulB sent to K»-w 

 by Colonel Playfair, stated to belong to a " Copal-tree," of Zanzibar, 'i'he.se nuts I take to 

 be deprived of their epicarp. They are \-^ in. long, nearly black, smooth, and Hhininc, 

 slightly compressed, with a marginal suture, surrounded, one-third from the bni»e, by a rrd^ 

 dish, fleshy, arilliform coat; 1-celled and 1-seedcd by abortion, a prominent internal lateral 

 projection marking the abortive cell. The seed is exalbuminous. Cotyledons contortupli- 

 cate. Kadicle superior. Dr. Schweinfurth's plant I take to be a Proiiu'm. Identical geur- 

 rically with Dr. Schweinfurth's plant, described above, is a distinct speciej* (Protium f 

 mossambicense, Oliv.), sent from the Zambesi by Dr. Kirk, in fruit only. It may be dis- 

 tinguished thus :— Leaves 3-foliolate (rarely sub-5-foliolate), at length glabrescent'; lejiflets 

 broadly ovate-rotundate, broadly pointed, subacute or obtuse, entire or faintly undulate; 

 median 3-3^ in. long, l|-3 in. broad, on a petiolule of f-li in., lateral li-2 in. long and 

 broad, on petiolules of \-\ in. Fruits racemose from the axils of fallen leaves, broadly 

 ellipsoidal or subglobose, about ^ in. in length ; epicarp tardily 2-valved. 



Order XXXYII. MELIACE^ (by Professor Oliver). 



Flowers regular, hermaplivodite or rarely uiiisexunl by abortion. Calyx 

 4-5-lobed, -partite or -sepalous ; segments usually imbricate. Petals as 

 many, free, contorted or imbricate (in the African genera). Stamens usually 

 8-10, monadelphous (in the African genera). Anthers 2-celled, dehiscing 

 longitudinally, sessile or stipitate, inserted upon or within the margin of the 

 usually lobed dentate or fringed tube. Ovary free, usually surrouiuU'd by 

 an annular free or adnate disk, 2-5-12-celled ; style simple ; stigma capitate 

 or discoid. Ovules 2, occasionally 4-10. Fruit baccate or capsular. Seeds 

 with or without albumen, in Carapa very large, angular, in Kliayn subalatc. 

 — Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, exstipulatc, simple, 3-foliolate or vari- 

 ously pinnate, epunctate. Flowers rather small, usually cymose, in com- 

 pound racemes or panicles, occasionally umbellate, fascicled, geminate or 

 rarely subsolitary. 



A large Order, common to the warmer regions of both hemispheres. Two of the follow- 

 ing genera {Ekebergia and Khaya) are peculiar to Africa. SchizocaJyx^ Hoch^t. iu Flora, 

 1844, Beilage, p. 1, is referred to Salvadoracea by Planchon. 



Leaves simple. Ovary 5-1 2-celled 1- Ti-kr-^a. 



Leaves 2-pinnate -• 'Mni.v. 



Leaves pinnate or 3-foliolate. 



Ovules geminate. Fruit baccate 3- Kkkbkkou. 



Ovules geminate. Fruit a capsule, dehiscing loculicidally .... 4. Trichilia. 



Ovules 2-8. Staminal tube nrceolatc. Fruit (very large) opening iu 



4-5 valves, with thick angular-pyramidal seeds 5. Carapa. 



Ovules 10-14. Fruit capsular. Seeds compressed or subalatc ... 6. Khata. 



