234 FLORA OF JAMAICA Heteropteris 



semicircular, lower straight or slightly recurved at apex, base 

 truncate. — Malpighia reticulata Poir. in Lam. Encyc. Suppl. iv. 8 

 (1816). Banisteria reticulata C. B. Robinson ex Small torn. cit. 

 138 (1910). 



Banks of Black river, Lacovia, Harris 1 —Guiana. 



Leaves elliptical, generally shortly acuminate, base rounded or obtuse, 

 midrib and veins prominent especially beneath, veins conspicuously reti- 

 culate especially beneath and prominent on both sides. Panicles to nearly 

 3 dm. 1. ; reddish-pubescent. Bracts and bractcoles concave, persistent, 

 conspicuous, ovate to oblong-ovate, 3* 5-4 "5 mm. 1. Pedicels jointed about 

 the middle, the upper joint with the flower often deciduous, the lower part 

 with the bracteoles at its apex persistent, giving a characteristic appearance 

 to the panicle. Sepals oblong, about 4 mm. 1., revolute at apex, brownish- 

 pubescent, with 8 glands ; glands slightly more than half as long. Petals 

 yellow ; blade elliptical, to 5 or 6 mm. 1. ; claw 2-3 mm. 1. Styles hooked 

 at the apex outwardly, hook bent downwards. Fruit: wing 3-5 cm. 1., 

 2 cm. br., when young covered with red tomentum, at length glabrate ; 

 nerves fan-like ; nut to 2 cm. 1. to •? cm. br. 



3. H. purpurea E.B. d; K. Nov. Gen. d Sp. v. 164 (1822); 

 leaves membranous, 1*5-5 cm. 1. ; Griseb. op. cit. 119 ; Niedenzu 

 op. cit. 15 ; Urb. Symb. Ant. iv. 328. H. parvifolia DC. Prodr. i. 

 591 (1824); Griseb. loc. cit. (H. parviflora in error). Banisteria 

 purpurea L. Sp. PI. 427 (1753) ; Cav. Diss. 423, t. 246, /. 1 ; 

 Small loc. cit. B. parvifolia Vent. Choix. f. 51 (1803). 



Near Kingston, Oersted (fide Grisebach). — West Indies, Venezuela, 

 Colombia. 



Leaves elliptical, apex and base rounded or obtuse, glabrous, veins 

 reticulate beneath, scarcely visible above ; petiole with 2 glands about the 

 middle. Racemes terminal or axillary, corymbose, sparingly pubescent. 

 Bracts and bracteoles minute. Pedicels jointed near the base. Sepals 

 oblong to ovate-oblong, about 2* 5 mm. 1. ; glands 8, 1-5-2 mm. 1. Petals 

 purple; blade obovate, base sagittate, 3 '5-5 mm. 1.; claw 1-5-2 "5 mm. 1. 

 Fruit striate-veined, sparingly puberulous; wing about 2 cm. 1., about 

 1 cm. br., obliquely obovate-oblong, with a slight projection on the upper 

 margin near the base. 



5. BRACHYPTERYS A. Juss. 



Sea-shore small shrubs, erect or trailing and twining over 

 low bushes. Leaves with 2 glands on the base of the midrib 

 beneath : stipules very minute. Flowers, in the Jamaican species, 

 in axillary peduncled bracteate umbel-like corymbs. Calyx 

 8-glandular. Petals yellow, 7-13 mm. in diam. Stamens 10, 

 subequal or unequal. Styles produced into an appendage with 

 the stigmatic surface on the inside. Fruit of 1 to 3 cocci, which 

 bear a short crest at the apex. Embryo : one cotyledon not 

 developing, the other bending over and enveloping it in its 

 growth. 



Species 2, natives of West Indies, northern S. America and 

 central America. 



