676 



HUMIRIACEjE. I. HUMIRIUM. II. HELLERIA. III. SACAGLOTTIS. 



Calyx 5-cleft. Petals 5, alternating with the lobes of the 

 calyx. Stamens hypogynous, double, quadruple, and multiple 

 the number of the petals, monadelphous at the base, drawn out 

 beyond the anthers, which are short and 2-eelled. Style simple, 

 crowned by a lobed stigma. Ovary free, for the most part 

 girded by an annular disk at the base, 5-celled ; cells 1-2-ovu- 

 late. Fruit drupe-formed, containing a 5-celled nut, or fewer 

 from abortion ; cells 1-2 -seeded. Integument of seed membra- 

 nous. Embryo straight, oblong, within a fleshy albumen. Trees 

 and shrubs, abounding in resinous juice, with alternate, simple, co- 

 riaceous, exstipulate leaves, and axillary corymbs of flowers. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



1 HUMI RIUM. Stamens 20, joined into a tube, alternate ones 

 shortest, ciliated above. Annular disk 20-lobed. Stigma 5- 

 lobed. Fruit containing a 5-celled nut. Cells 2-seeded. 



2 HELLE'RIA. Stamens numerous, disposed in 5 bundles, 

 connected at the base into a ring. Annular disk toothed. 

 Stigma 5-lobed. Fruit containing a 5-celled nut, or fewer 

 celled from abortion. 



3 SACAGLOTTIS. Stamens 10, with the filaments connate at 

 the base; anthers ending in a ligula. Ovary girded by a ring. 

 Stigma depressed, rather lobed. Ovary 5-celled, with 1 pendu- 

 lous ovulae in each cell. 



I. HUMFRIUM (Houmiri is the name of H. balsamiferum in 

 Guiana). Mart. fl. bras. 1. p. 143. t. 198 and t. 199. St. Hil. 

 fl. bras. 2. p. 88. Houmiri, Aubl. guian. 1. p. 564. t. 215. 

 Houmiria, Juss. Humiria, D. C. prod. 1. p. 619. Myroden- 

 dron, Schreb. gen. no. 901. 



LIN. SYST. Monadelphia, Poly6ndria. Stamens 20, with the 

 filaments connected into a tube at the base ; cells of anthers 

 drawn out. Disk annular, 20-toothed, surrounding the ovary. 

 Stigma 5-lobed. Fruit drupe-formed, containing a 5-celled pu- 

 tamen ; cells 2-seeded from abortion, each separated by a bony dis- 

 sepiment. Trees flowing with balsam. Leaves entire, commonly 

 margined by small gland-like dots, with the limb running down 

 the petiole, and even down the stem, therefore sessile. Flowers 

 axillary and terminal, corymbose, and irregularly cymose. 



1 H. PARVIFLO'RUM (St. Hil. fl. bras. 2. p. 89.) leaves short, 

 obovate, tapering into the petiole, emarginate and mucronulate 

 at the apex ; inflorescence longer than the leaves ; peduncles 

 and petals smooth. Jj . S. Native of Brazil in the province of 

 Rio Janeiro. Petals green. 



Small-flowered Humirium. Fl. Sept. Tree. 



2 H. MONTA'NUM (St. Hil. fl. bras. 2. p. 90.) leaves sessile, ob- 

 ovate ; inflorescence shorter than the leaves ; peduncles hairy ; 

 petals smooth. >j . S. Native of Brazil in the province of Minas 

 Geraes. Petals green. 



Mountain Humirium. Tree. 



3 H. BALSAMIFERUM (Aubl. guian. 1. p. 564. t. 225.) leaves 

 ovate-oblong, half stem-clasping, with a decurrent nerve on 

 the back ; inflorescence longer than the leaves ; peduncles 

 smooth as well as the petals. ^ . S. Native of Guiana and 

 Cayenne. Myrodendron amplexicaule, Willd. spec. 2. p. 1171. 

 Bark thick, abounding in red balsamic fluid, resembling styrax in 

 smell ; after it has exuded from the bark it becomes brittle and 

 transparent, and when burnt affords a very agreeable odour. 

 The negroes and the natives of Guiana use the bark for the 

 purpose of slips to make flambeaus. They also use the wood 

 in building their houses. The resin, according to Aublet, might 



be used medicinally in the same manner as balsam of Peru. The 

 tree is called Red-mood by the Creoles on account of the wood 

 being red. 



Balsam-bearing Humirium. Tree 40 feet. 



4 H. CRAssiFotiuM (Mart. fl. bras. 2. p. 143. t. 198.) leaves 

 coriaceous, stalked, obovate-oblong, entire ; petioles winged ; 

 petals pubescent on the back. Jj . S. Native of Brazil on mount 

 Serra de Arara-coara, on the confines of Peru. Cymes axillary, 

 trichotomous. Flowers small, white. 



Thick-leaved Humirium. Tree 8 to 12 feet. 



5 H. FLORIBU'NDUM (Mart. fl. bras. 2. p. 145. t. 199.) leaves 

 obovate or oblong, with a short acumen at the tip, emarginate, 

 quite entire, tapering into the short petiole ; branches and pedicels 

 2-edged ; petals smooth. Tj . S. Native of Brazil in the 

 province of Bahia. Cymes trichotomous, axillary. Flowers small, 

 white. 



Bundle-flowered Humirium. Tree 20 to 30 feet. 



Cult. These elegant trees will thrive well in a mixture of 

 loam and sand, and ripened cuttings will root in sand under a 

 hand-glass, in heat. 



II. HELLERIA (in honour of George Heller, professor of 

 botany at Wurzburg). Nees et Mart. nov. act. bonn. 12. p. 40. 

 t. 7. St. Hil. fl. bras. 2. p. 90. 



LIN. SYST. Polyadelphia, Polydndria. Lobes of calyx im- 

 pressed with glandular pores on the back. Petals reflexed. 

 Stamens numerous, disposed in 5 fascicles, alternating with the 

 petals ; filaments connected into a ring at the base ; cells of an- 

 thers smooth, ending in a gland. Stigma 5-lobed. Ovary vil- 

 lous, 5-celled. Fruit drupe-formed ; cells of putamen exca- 

 vated, usually fewer than in the ovary. Trees and shrubs, with 

 stalked, entire leaves. Flowers terminal on the branches, usually 

 in dichotomous cymes or corymbs. Sometimes there is a 6th 

 cell added to the ovary. 



1 H. ovALiF6nA (St. Hil. fl. bras. 2. p. 91.) leaves large, 

 ovate ; peduncles hispid ; petals tomentose. fj . S. Native of 

 Brazil in the provinces of Minas Geraes and Minas Novas. Pe- 

 tals greenish-white. 



Oval-leaved Helleria. Fl. Aug. Shrub 6 feet. 



2 H. OBOVA'TA (Nees et Mart. nov. act. bonn. 12. p. 40. t. 7.) 

 leaves obovate, emarginate and mucronulate at the apex ; pe- 

 duncles and petals smooth. Tj . S. Native of Brazil in the 

 province of Minas Geraes. Petals greenish-white. 



O6oi<a<e-leaved Helleria. Fl. Sept. Shrub 5-6-12 feet. 



Cult. A mixture of loam, peat, and sand will suit these 

 shrubs, and ripened cuttings will root in sand under a hand-glass, 

 in heat. 



III. SACAGLO'TTIS (from <raicoc, sakos, a buckler or shield, 

 and yXwrra, glotta, a tongue ; in allusion to the anthers being 

 terminated by a ligula, as well as in the ovary being surrounded 

 by a buckler-like cupula). Mart. fl. bras. 2. p. 146. Act. bonn. 

 12. p. 39. with a figure. 



LIN. SYST. Monadelphia, Decandria. Calyx cup-shaped, 

 quinquefid. Petals 5, revolute. Stamens 10, with the filaments 

 connate at the base ; cells of anthers connective, drawn out into 

 a ligula. Ovary girded by a cupula, 5-celled, each cell con- 

 taining one pendulous ovula. Stigma depressed, capitate, glo- 

 bose, somewhat lobed. A tree with round branches. Leaves 

 oblong, acuminated, shining above, and pale beneath. Flowers 

 yellowish-green, in short axillary corymbs. 



1 S. AMAz6uicA (Mart. fl. bras. 2. p. 146.) Jj . S. Native 

 on the banks of the river Amazon. 



Amazonian Sacaglottis. Tree 20 feet. 



Cult. A mixture of loam, peat, and sand will suit this tree, and 

 ripened cuttings will root in sand under a hand-glass, in heat. 



