OF PLANTS CALLED COMPOSITE. 297 



Obs. In Yon Rohr's natural character of Melanthera 

 the Nectarium, or glandular body sheathing the base of 

 the style, is introduced, which is the earliest notice I [us 

 have yet found of this organ in Compositae, except in 

 Eatsch's Analysis Florum, published in 1790, where it is 

 both described and figured in Coreopsis tripteris. The 

 merit, however, of establishing its nearly universal exist- 

 ence in the hermaphrodite florets of this extensive class 

 belongs to M. Cassini. 



Both Von Rohr and Richard in their characters of Mela- 

 nanthera have described the antherae as shorter than the 

 corolla, which is indeed the case in a particular state of the 

 flower ; immediately after its expansion, however, they 

 project considerably, and again become inclosed in the 

 more advanced stage. This fact has been noticed by Jac- 

 quin, 1 who considers the final inclosure of the antherae to 

 be owing to the elongation of the corolla. But the actual 

 increase in length of the corolla is very slight, and by no 

 means sufficient to account for the appearance; the real 

 cause of which is a considerable, and I believe a gradual, 

 contraction of the filaments. This economy is not unfre- 

 quent in Compositae, especially in the tribe of Ilelianthece, [no 

 to which Melananthera belongs. 



In M. Cassini's Memoir on the Stamina of Compositae 

 the retraction of antherae is not expressly noticed. This 



ripe seeds only, it would certainly have been referred to it. The following 

 characters, however, prove it to be sufficiently distinct. It may be named 



Lipotriche. 



Involucrum duplici serie imbricatum, subsequale. Receptaculum convexum, 

 pa lets foliaceis, distinctis. Capitulum radiatum. Lignite (simplici serie) 

 feminese. Flosculi hermaphroditi, stigmatibns appendice acuto hispidulo. 

 Achenia subuniformia, turbinata ; Pappo setaceo, caduco. 



Herbse (Africse eequinoctialis) Folia opposita, indivisa. Pedunculi terminates, 

 term. Iuvolucra brevia, foliacea. Paleae receptaculi carinatee, nervosa, acuta 

 Corollulse flavee. Ligulee elongates, Z-dentatee. Antherse nigricanf.es, sub- 

 inclusee, bast muticee. Achenium obtuse tetragonum. Pappus, in disco verticis 

 depressi, brevis, e setulis simplici serie, numerosis (8 — 10), distinctis, dentieulaii*, 

 caducis vel deciduis. 



Melanantherse proximo accedit : affinis quoque Ecliptre Linn. Wedelia Jacq. 

 et Diomedese Cassini (in Journ. de Phys. tome lxxxii, p. 145), sed ab his 

 omnibus satis distincta videtur. 



1 Collect, ii, p. 291, Ic. Rar. iii, t. 583. 



