STRYCHNACE^E. V. GARDNERIA. VI. DICARYUM. POTALIACE^E. I. POTALIA. 



67 



by whose indefatigable exertions and liberality the Botanic Gar- 

 dens at Calcutta, as well as those of Britain, have been enriched 

 by many splendid additions of plants and seeds, the productions 

 of Nipaul.) Wall, in Roxb. fl. ind. 1. p. 401 and 2. p. 318. D. 

 Don, prod. fl. nep. p. 132. Cyathospermum, Wall. mss. 



Lix. SYST. Tetrdndria, Monogynia. Calyx small, 4-5-toothed. 

 Corolla rotate, with a 4-5-parted limb, and a short tube ; valvate 

 in aestivation. Stamens 4-5 ; filaments very short, flat ; anthers 

 oblong, convex outside, flattish inside, 2-celled, closely com- 

 bined into a cone : having the valves membranous and involute 

 after dehiscence. Style subulate, straight, shorter than the sta- 

 mens, with a furrow on each side ; stigma acute. Ovarium 

 superior. Berry ^-celled, 2-seeded. Seeds compressed, orbi- 

 cular ; testa simple, adhering closely to the albumen, which is 

 copious, white and horny, pellucid and dotted. Embryo 

 straight, basilar. Cotyledons ovate. Climbing, much branched 

 shrubs, glabrous in every part. Leaves opposite, ex-stipulate, 

 elliptic, acuminated, rather coriaceous, quite entire, shining, pe- 

 tiolate. Peduncles axillary, opposite, trichotomous, 3-flowered, 

 or simple 1 -flowered, glabrous, shorter than the leaves. Flowers 

 white, twice the size of those of the Cynanchum vincetoxicum. 



I G. OVA'TA (Wall, in Roxb. fl. ind. 1. p. 400. 2. p. Si 8.) 

 leaves elliptic, acuminate, acute at the base ; peduncles tricho- 

 tomous, 3-flowered ; flowers tetrandrous ; seeds concave inside. 

 I; . ^,. S. Native of Silhet, in Bengal. Wall. pi. rar. asiat. 3. 

 p. 17. t. 231. Leaves pale beneath, having the nerves united by 

 sub-marginal arches; petioles widening at the base, and sur- 

 rounding the branches, concealing in their axils a few withering 

 ciliae. Placenta fleshy, short, originating from the centre of the 

 dissepiment. Anthers combined. 



Orflfe-leaved Gardneria. Shrub cl. 



9. G. AXGUSTIFOLIA (Wall, in Roxb. fl. ind. 2. p. 318.) leaves 

 narrow-lanceolate, tapering into a narrow acumen ; flowers 

 solitary, axillary, pentandrous ; anthers distinct. tj . w . S. 

 Native of Nipaul. Leaves 5 inches long, and 1 inch in breadth. 

 Petioles as in the preceding. Flowers nodding in aestivation, 

 tetrandrous and pentandrous. Stigma 2-lobed. Berry scarlet, 

 as large as a marrow-fat pea, but in all other respects like that 

 of G. ovata. 



Narrow-hated Gardneria. Shrub, cl. 



3 G. GLA^BRA (Wall. mss. ex D. Don, prod. fl. nep. p. 132.) 

 leaves elliptic, acuminated, obtuse at the base ; peduncles 1- 

 Howered, simple : seeds flat inside. F? . w . S. Native of 

 Silhet. The flowers and seeds are larger than in G. ovuta. It 

 is probably the same as G. angustijolia. 



Glabrous Gardneria. Shrub cl. 



4 G. WALLICHII (Wight, herb, ex Wall. pi. rar. asiat. 3. p. 

 49. t. 281.) leaves oblong-lanceolate, acuminated; peduncles 

 axillary, 3-flowered, or bifid, each division bearing 3 flowers ; 

 corollas den>ely villous above ; anthers 4, combined. ^ . w . 

 S. Native of the East Indies, on mountains at Salem, Wight. 



Wallich's Gardneria. Shrub cl. 



Cult. For culture and propagation, see Stry'chnos, p. 66. 



t A genus doubtful whether belonging to the present order. 



VI. DICA'RYUM (from cic, dis, double ; and Kapvov, karyon, 

 a nut ; drupe containing 2 nuts.) Herb. Willd. ex Roam, et 

 Schultes, syst. 4. p. 802. 



LIN. SYST. Pentandria, Monogynia. Calyx 5-toothed, per- 

 manent. Corolla 5-toothed ; with a pilose throat. Stamens 5, 

 inserted in the throat. Style thick, subulate ; stigma obtuse. 

 Drupe containing -2 2-celled, 1-2-seeded nuts South Ame- 

 rican trees ; with opposite leaves ; and terminal, panicles, or 

 axillary racemes of flowers. This genus is said by D. C. to 

 belong to Strychnacece, but it is hardly known. 



1 D. SUBDENTA'TUM (Willd. herb. 1. c.) leaves elliptic, acutely 



toothed, shining above; racemes terminal. ^ . S. Native of 

 South America, at Pichincha. Humb. et Bonp. Leaves coria- 

 ceous, with protuberances at the base of the petioles, reticulately 

 veined, pale beneath. 



Subdentate-\eaved Dicaryum. Tree or shrub. 



2 D. SERRULA'TUM (Willd. herb. 1. c.) leaves oblong, acumi- 

 nated, serrulated ; panicles axillary, fj . S. Native of South 

 America, on Mount Quindiu. Humb. et Bonp. 



Serrulated-leaved Dicaryum. Tree or shrub. 



Cult. For culture and propagation see Strychnos, p. 66. 



ORDER CLI. POTALLVCEjE (so called in consequence of 

 the order agreeing with the genus Potolia in important charac- 

 ters.) Potalieae, Mart. nov. gen. bras. 2. p. 133. 



Flowers of unequal parts. Calyx 4-5-6-parted. Corolla 

 tubular, with a nearly equal limb, which is from 5-12-cleft, 

 twisted and imbricate in aestivation. Stamens rising from the 

 tube of the corolla ; pollen elliptic, simple. Style continuous : 

 stigma simple. Berry 2-4-celled. Seeds numerous, peltate, 

 fixed to the placentas, which are central. Testa double. Em- 

 bryo heterotropus, in cartilaginous albumen Glabrous, some- 

 what lactescent shrubs or trees. Leaves opposite, quite entire, 

 joined- by interpetiolar sheathing stipulas. Flowers disposed 

 in terminal panicled corymbs, bracteate. 



This order is easily distinguished from Apocy'nece, from which 

 it is broke off, in the parts of the flowers being unequal, in the 

 double testa to the seed, and especially in the petioles being 

 joined by interpetiolar stipulas, as in Rubiacece. 



Synopsis of the genera. 



1 POTA'LIA. Calyx 4-parted. Limb of corolla 10-parted, 

 imbricate in aestivation. Stamens 10; filaments combined by 

 an annular membrane. Berry 2-celled. 



2 ANTHOCLEI'STA. Calyx 4-parted. Limb of corolla 12-cleft, 

 imbricate in aestivation. Stamens 12, combined. Berry 2-celled. 



3 FAGR^A. Calyx 5-parted. Limb of corolla 5-6-parted. 

 imbricate in aestivation. Stamens 5, unconnected. Berry 2-celled. 



I. POTA\LIA (Guiana name of the first species). Anbl. 

 guian. 1. p. 396. t. 151. Mart. nov. gen. bras. 2. p. 89. 

 Nicandra, Schreb. gen. no. 714. 



LIN. SYST. Decdndria, Monogynia. Calyx coloured, tur- 

 binate, 4-parted. Corolla tubular ; limb 1 0-cleft ; segments 

 imbricate in aestivation. Stamens 10, rising from the tube of 

 the corolla ; filaments combined by an annular membrane at 

 the base ; anthers linear. Style short ; stigma capitately pel- 

 tate, lobed. Berry 2-celled, many-seeded, umbonate, angular. 

 Seeds angular, rising from 2 basilar placentas. Nearly simple 

 glabrous shrubs. Leaves opposite and decussate, large, entire, 

 joined by an interpetiolar sheath at the base. Flowers of a 

 beautiful colour, disposed in terminal corymbose panicles, fur- 

 nished with scale-like bracteas. 



1 P. AMA'RA (Aubl. guian. 1. p. 396. t. 151.) leaves opposite, 

 decussate, obovate, pointed ; calyx yellow ; corolla white. 

 J? . S. Native of Guiana, in extensive forests. Nicandra 

 amara, Gmel. syst. 677. Stem simple. Leaves \\ foot long 

 and 5 inches broad. Berry yellow, fleshy, size of a cherry. 

 All parts of the plant are bitter ; the leaves and tender twigs 

 are used in venereal cases; and where there is suspicion of 

 poison, it being highly emetic in large doses. 



Bitter Potalia. Shrub. 

 K 2 



