Mr. J. Miers on some genera of the Icacinacese. 489 



true structure and development. The circumstances observed 

 in Pennantia Cunninghami, of possessing three distinct styles and 

 cells in the fertile ovarium (a character which, for aught we know 

 to the contrary, may be common to all the species), and of having 

 also a drupe containing an oval coriaceous putamen, might in- 

 duce some botanists to place this species in a genus distinct from 

 the other hard-nutted species, but it appears to me that such 

 differences are not sufficient to authorize their generic separa- 

 tion ; should it be thought otherwise, it might bear the name of 

 the section in which it is here placed. The following generic 

 character is almost wholly based upon my own observations. 



Pexxaxtia, Forst. — Flores polygamo-dioici. Calyx parvus, 

 crasso-discoideus, obsolete 5-dentatus, immutatus et persistens. 

 Petala 5, oblonga, carnosula, glabra, sestivatione valvata, apice 

 infiexa, sub anthesi patentia. Stamina 5, petalis alterna, iis- 

 dem longiora, ad marginem disci extus affixa ; filament a fili- 

 forcnia, sestivatione induplicata, in anthesi patentia : anthem 

 oblonga?, 2-lobae, e basi ad medium 2-fid3e, lobis connectivo 

 angustissimo et tenuissimo nexis, sejunctis, parallelis, subru- 

 gosis, apice basique interdum glandulis piliformibus donatis, 

 singulatim 2-locellatis, valvulis e marginibus contiguis utrin- 

 que evolutis et hinc rima longitudinali late hiantibus : in flori- 

 bus fcemineis polline destitutis. Pollen sub-4-gonum, rarius 

 3-gonum. Ovarium brevissimum, conicum, glabrum, disco 

 pentagono suffultum ; in floribus masculis teres, subulatum, 

 carnosum, effoetum, stigmate capitato terminatum : in floribus 

 fcemineis conicum, proi'unde 3-sulcatum, textura tenui, 3-locu- 

 lare, locuhs 2 (rarius 1) effcetis : ovulum unicum (vel potius 

 gemellum ?) loculum implens, oblongum, funiculo sub-brevi 

 ex apice suspensum. Stt/li 3, loculis ovarii continui, iis di- 

 midio brevioies, erccti, subulati, stigmata totidem compressa, 

 emarginato-spathulata, stylisque demum in discum sessilem 

 epigynum fructus coronantem mutata. Drupa baccata, ovalis, 

 monopyrena. Putamen osseum vel coriaceum, ovatum vel 

 inaxjuaJiter 3-gonum, apice ex angulo dorsali cristatum, summo 

 faciei ventrahs angustioris subcavum, et hinc foraminc par- 

 vulo perforatum, 1-loculare, loculo callo 2-lobo infra foramen 

 notato, monospermum. Semen medio strophiolse suspensum, 

 loculo conforme ; strophiola crassa, foramen pcrcurrens, et ad 

 apicem chordse conspicuaj per faciem externam putaminis ad 

 torum contiuuse adnexa : testa membranacea ; raphe a stro- 

 phiola apicali usque ad chalazam basalem latere dorsali pro- 

 ducta. Albumen carnosum, dorso propter raphen immerram 

 sulcatum : embryo isto dimidio brevior, apice inclusus, subtcres, 

 cotyledonibus ovatis, carnosulis, parvulis, radicula supera 



Ann. Z$ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. ix. 32 



