22 Mr. J. Miers on the Menispermacese. 



able to conclude that it is either an abnormal species of Odon- 

 tocarya or that it belongs to a new genus. The former idea is 

 more probable if we consider the inner whorl to be formed by 

 three sterile ovaries, such as I found to exist occasionally in the 

 ^ flowers of the Indian genus Hcsmatocarpus, and in those 

 of roi«cor«, where they look somewhat like emasculated stamens ; 

 this supposition is strongly supported by Dr. Eichler's drawing, 

 where the fifth figure in the bottom row upon the plate men- 

 tioned is either a deformed ovary or a monstrous stamen. 



Cocculus is a cosmopolitan genus, some of its species belong- 

 ing to the New World ; Nephroica is widely distributed through 

 Asia and its numerous islands ; Holopeira is Indian and African; 

 Diploclisia is found in Ceylon, the Indian peninsula, and along 

 the Malayan coast. 



Cocculus, DC. — Flores dioici. Masc. Sepala 9, ordine ternario 

 alternatim disposita, interiora majora, exteriora minora et 

 bracteiformia, obovata, margine ssepius eroso-denticulata, 

 sestivatione imbricata. Petala 6, sepalis opposita, biserialia, 

 sequalia, sepalis interioribus minora, oblonga, infra medium 

 angustiora, imo 2-auriculata, lobis filamenta amplectentibus. 

 Stamina 6, subsequalia, unguibus petalorum affixa ; filamenta 

 petalis paulo longiora, teretia, apice incrassata; anthercs dorso 

 introrsum adnatse, rotundato-4-lob8e, 2-loculares, loculis col- 

 lateralibus connectivo angustissimo interstinctis, utrinque 

 rima diagonali bivalvatim hiantibus. Ovaria rudimentaria 3, 

 centralia, punctiformia. — Foem. Sepala et petala masc. Sta- 

 mina sterilia 6, petalis involuta, breviora, emasculata vel abor- 

 tiva. Ovaria 3 vel 6, ovata, gibba. Stylus brevissimus, ex- 

 centricus. Stigma subito horizontaliter deflexum, subteres, 

 superne canaliculatum. Drupa 3, transversim ovatse, carnosse, 

 stigmate persistente hilo proximo notatse; putamen osseum, 

 reniformi-globosum, subcompressum, sulcis radiatis vel tor- 

 tuosis exsculptum carinaque peripherica Isevi signatum, uni- 

 loculare, loculo subcyclico circa condylum gyrato; condylus 

 excentralis, intern us, cochlearis, septo integi-o vertical! in 

 locellos 2 vacuos divisus, utrinque meatu parvo externo tri- 

 angulari perforatus. Semen loculo conforme, extus convexum, 

 intus planum; integumentum membranaceum, facie ventrali 

 medio chalazce ad condyli septum affixum ; embryo intra albu- 

 men simplex carnosum, fere annularis, cotyledonibus folia- 

 ceis, carnosulis, lineari-oblongis, incumbentibus, radicula 

 tereti supera ad stylum spectante duplo longioribus et multo 

 latioribus. 



Frutices scandentes, intra {rarius extra) tropicos totius orbis ores- 

 centes ; folia alternOj petiolata, ovata, oblonga vel sublinearia; 



