104 



MENISPERMACE^;. II. STAUNTONIA. III. BURASAIA. IV. HOLBOLLIA. V. GYNOSTEMMA, &c. 



foliate ; leaflets ovate ; bracteas small, along the pedicels. Jj . 

 w . S. Native of Peru. Deless. icon. sel. 1. t. 92. A some- 

 what climbing shrub, with the habit of a species of Glycine. 

 Flowers whitish-yellow. Petals 6, ovate-roundish, situated at 

 the base of the column of stamens. 



Trifoliate Lardizabala. Shrub cl. 



Cult. See Cocculus and Stauntonia. 



II. STAUNTO'NIA (in honour of Sir George Staunton, who 

 has introduced numerous plants from China, on his return from 

 a mission there with Lord Macartney). D. C. syst. 1. p. 513. 

 prod. 1. p. 96. 



LIN. SYST. Diaicia Monodelphia. Sepals disposed in a ter- 

 nary order in 2 series. Petals none. Male flowers with 6 

 monodelphous stamens. Female flowers unknown. 



1 S. CHINE'NSIS (D. C. syst. 1. p. 514.) Tj . w . G. Native of 

 China. Sepals of flower 6 lines long. Anthers whitish. Leaves 

 on petioles, peltate, 5 -foliate. A smooth sarmentose shrub. 



Chinese Stauntonia. Shrub rambling. 



Cult. This plant, as well as all belonging to Menispermacece, 

 require plenty of room to grow and climb or they will not 

 flower. A mixture of loam and peat suit it well, and cuttings 

 put in in the spring will root freely, under a hand-glass, t 



III. BURASA'IA (from Bourasaha, the name of the plant 

 in Madagascar.) Pet. Th. diet, scient. nat. ex gen. madag. p. 

 18. D. C. syst. 1. p. 514. prod. 1. p. 96. 



LIN. SYST. Dicecia Monodelphia. Sepals and petals dis- 

 posed in a ternary order in 2 series. Male flowers with 6 

 stamens, which are joined at the base. Female flowers with 6 

 sterile stamens, triple ovary, and 3 drupes. 



1 B. MADAGASCARIE'NSIS (Pet. Th. 1. c.) Tj . S. Native of 

 Madagascar. Leaves alternate, trifoliate, on long petioles ; 

 leaflets 3, ovate, entire. A weak shrub with racemose flowers. 



Madagascar Bourasaha. Shrub rambling. 



Cult. This plant will thrive well in a mixture of loam and 

 peat, and cuttings put in in the spring will root freely under a 

 hand-glass, placed in a good heat, f 



IV. HOLBOLLIA (in honour of Fred. Louis Holboel, super- 

 intendent of the botanic garden at Copenhagen.) Wall. tent. fl. 

 nap. 1. p. 25. t. 16 and 17. 



LIN. SYST. MoncJcia, Hexandria. Flowers monoecious. Pe- 

 rianth 6-leaved, disposed in a double series. Stamens 6, distinct. 

 Glands 6, opposite the base of the stamens. Female flowers, with 

 6 sterile stamens. Stigma simple. Berries 3, distinct, oblong, 

 follicular, 1 -celled, many-seeded. Climbing shrubs, with com- 

 pound leaves. The natives of Nipaul eat the fruit of both 

 species, the pulp of which is sweetish, but otherwise of an in- 

 sipid taste. It is very probable that Rajania quinata and hexa- 

 phylla, Thunb. fl. jap. 148, 149. belong to this genus. 



1 H. LATIFO HA (Wall. tent. fl. nap. 1. p. 24. t. 16.) leaflets 

 3-5, ovate-oblong, 3 -nerved ; flowers racemose. Jj. w . G. 

 Native of Nipaul on Chundaghira and Sheopore. Flowers white, 

 campanulate. Fruit baccate, oval, turning, purple, eatable. 



Broad-leaved Holbollia. Shrub cl. 



2 H. ANGUSTIFO'LIA (Wall. tent. fl. nap. 1. p. 25. t. 17.) 

 leaflets 7-9, linear-lanceolate, acuminated ; peduncles 2-3-flower- 

 ed, in fascicles. ^ . ^. G. Native of Nipaul, with the last. 

 Flowers white, purplish on the outside. Fruit baccate, turning 

 purple, eatable. 



Narrow-leaved Holbollia. Shrub cl. 

 Cult. See Cocculus and Stauntonia. 



V. GYNOSTE'MM A (from yvvn, gyne, a female or stigma ; 

 aTtppa, stemma, a crown ; ovaries crowned by the permanent stig- 

 mas.) Blum, bijdr. fl. ned. ind. ex Schlecht. Linnaea. 1. p. 497. 



LIN. SYST. Dice'cia, Monodelphia. Flowers dioecious. Sepals 

 10, disposed in a quinary order, connected at the base. Petals 

 wanting. Stamens 5, monodelphous, bearing the anthers on the 

 outside ; anthers 2-celled, connected into a ring. Female 

 flowers with the calyx as in the male. Ovary simple, half in- 

 ferior, 3-5-celled ; cells 1 -seeded. Stigmas 3-4, permanent. 

 Drupes globose, 3-4-celled ; cells or nuts 1 -seeded. Embryo 

 inverted, without albumen. Climbing shrubs, with simple or 

 pedate leaves. 



1 G. PEDA'TA (Blum. 1. c.) leaves 3-7-foliate ; leaflets ovate- 

 oblong, coarsely toothed ; panicle axillary, fy . w . S. Native 

 of Java. 



/Wa/e-leaved Gynostemma. Shrub cl. 



2 G. SIMPLICIFO'LIA (Blum. 1. c.) leaves ovate-oblong, acumi- 

 nated, smooth, terminated by a repand-serrulated mucrone ; ra- 

 cemes panicled, axillary, and terminal. Jj . ^ S. Native of Java. 



Simple-leaved Gynostemma. Shrub cl. 

 Cult. See Cocculus and Stauntonia. 



Tribe II. 



MENISPE'RME^! (plants agreeing in character with Menis- 

 permum.)D.C. prod. l.p. 96. Flowers usually dioecious ; male 

 flowers equal in number of parts. Carpels many, distinct, 1- 

 celled, 1-seeded. Leaves simple. Twining or climbing shrubs, with 

 small inconspicuous flowers, which are usually greenish-yellow. 



VI. SPIROSPE'RMUM (from oTritpa, spiera, a screw ; airtp- 

 fia., sperma, a seed ; embryo long and spirally twisted.) Pet. Th. 

 diet, scienc. nat. ex gen. mad. p. 19. no. 63. D. C. syst. 1. p. 

 514. prod. 1. p. 96. 



LIN. SYST. Dicecia, Monodelphia. Sepals and petals dis- 

 posed in a ternary order in two series. Male flowers with 6 

 stamens, the 3 inner ones are joined at the base ; female ones 

 with 8 or 9 carpels, forming a round head. Embryo cylindrical, 

 very long and spirally twisted, whence the generic name. 



1 S. PENDULIFLO V RUM (Pet. Th. 1. c.) Jj . w . S. Native of 

 Madagascar. A weak sarmentose shrub, with alternate many- 

 nerved leaves, and pendulous racemes of flowers. 



Pendulous-flowered Spirospermum. 



Cult. This genus requires the same treatment as Cocculus, 

 which see. 



VII. CO'CCULUS (from coccus, the systematic name of 

 cochineal, applied to this genus on account of the greater part of 

 the species bearing scarlet berries.) Bauh. pin. 511. D. C. syst. 

 1. p. 515. prod. 1. p. 96. 



LIN. SYST. Dicecia, Hexandria. Sepals and petals disposed in 

 a ternary order, in 2, very rarely in 3 series (f. 29. a.). Male 

 flowers with 6 free stamens (f. 29. 4.) opposite the petals ; 

 female ones with 3 or 6 carpels. Drupes baccate, 1 to 6, usually 

 obliquely-reniform, somewhat flattened, 1-seeded. Cotelydons 

 distant. A large genus of climbing or twining shrubs, with pel- 

 tate, cordate, ovate or oblong, entire, rarely lobed leaves. Pe- 

 duncles axillary, rarely lateral, those bearing the male flowers 

 usually many-flowered, those bearing the female ones few- 

 flowered, either free from bracteas or furnished with very small 

 ones (not as in Cissdmpelos furnished with large bracteas.) The 

 berries of many of this genus are used in their native countries 

 to intoxicate fish and birds, &c. in order to take them, being 

 made up into a paste, and it is said they are often used by 

 brewers to give their ale and porter an intoxicating quality. 



1. Leaves peltate. 



1 C. JAPO'NICUS (D. C. syst. 1. p. 516.) leaves peltate, 

 roundish- ovate, acuminated, quite entire, smooth ; petioles 

 twining, length of leaves ; female peduncles 3 times shorter than 

 the petioles, umbelliferous ; carpels twin, fj . w . G. Native 

 of Japan near Nagasaki and elsewhere. Menispermum Jap6ni- 



