Mr. Thwaites on (he Genus Ancistrocladus. 119 



C. indica, Schuhm. Planielare, t. i. p. 577. 



C. eloiigata, Lemaire Lisancourt, Diet, des Drogues. 



C. acutifolia, Nees, Diisseldf. PJiz. tab. 31() (excl. syiion. Coiisp.). 



C. Elirciibeigi, Biscli. Bol. Zcit. 1S41, col. .51 (excl. leg. sublineari). 



Sene ile Mokka (de la Pique), Pomet (Uebers. 1717), p. 180. 



Cassia lif^ustiiiioides, Schr. (sec. J'oyel). 



Frutex habitat in Arabia, in Lohaja, Mocha, Yemen ; et in India orient. 



(Agra), in Tinevelly et Calcutta colitur. 

 Senna de Mecca et orientalis in conunercio dicta. 



4. Sfnna TOMENTOSA, foliis .5-6-7-jugis ; foliolis ovato-oblongis plcruni- 

 que parvis utrinque pubescentibus nuicromilatis. stipulis hastatis, iegu- 

 niinibus adolescentibus nigris flavo-velutino-pijbcsceniibus ; sntura 

 superiori pilis setaceis ciliata, seniinibus interduu) Isevibns setulose 

 pilosis. 



Cassia pubescens, R. Brown, in Suit. It. App- 



C. ovata, Merat et Lens, Diet. 



C. acutifoiia /3, Delde in lib. Propr. 



C. obtusata, Hochstetter et Steudel in Sehimp. PI. Arab. no. 780. 



C. pubescens et toinentosa, Ehrenb. et Uempr. in lib. Berol. 



C. bolosericea, Fresen. in Flora 1839, p. 54. 



C. ajthiopica, Guib. in Hist, d. Drogues, 3 ed. iii. p. 219. 



C. Scbiniperi, Steudtl, Xomencl. Bot. ed. 2. 



C. cana, M'ender (1837) in Flora 1841, p. 355. 



Frutex habitat in Arabia et Nubia, foliolis inter folia Senna? Meccensis 

 (Yemen) ab auctore detecta et a clarr. Bove et Schimper in Arabia 

 (Dscbedda) et a cl. Darnaud in Valle Uumrich (Xubite) collecta. 



Senna? de Mecca et rarius Alexandrinse in commercio admixta. 



February 21. — Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Read a " Note on the genus Ancistrocladus of Wallich." By 

 G. H. K. Thwaites, Esq., Superintendent of the Botanic Garden of 

 Peradenia, Ceylon. 



The author refers to the various positions which different authors, 

 relying on the circumstance of the fruit of Ancistrocladus being sur- 

 rounded by the enlarged segments of the calyx, have assigned to 

 that genus, which has been successively placed in Combretacea, 

 Malpiyhiacece, and Dipterocarpece ; from all of which, however, it 

 differs by its seeds being albuminous. An examination of the 

 flowers and fruit in various stages of development has induced him 

 to conclude that it will associate better with SymplocetE, with which 

 it agrees in its undivided exstipulate leaves, its character of inflo- 

 rescence, imbricate calyx and corolla, persistent calyx, stamens ad- 

 hering to the base of the corolla, inferior ovary, albuminous seeds 

 and cylindrical embryo ; but from which it differs in its scandent 

 habit, its calycine segments becoming enlarged, its solitary erect 

 ovule, and the j^eculiar structure of its albumen. He notices a 

 slight afiinity to Myristicece and Annonacea:, its young ovule calling 

 to mind that of Myristica, and the embryo not being verj^ dissimilar ; 

 while the scandent habit and uncinate ramuli give it a considerable 

 resemblance to Artabotrys. The following generic character has 

 been drawn up from fresh specimens of Ancistrocarpus Vahlii, Arn., 



