Mr. J. Miers on the Menispermacese. 3 



axillary, with one or several racemes, more or less simple, grow- 

 ing from a point a little above the origin of the petiole : the 

 pedicels are sometimes branched, when the inflorescence becomes 

 somewhat paniculate ; at other times the flowers are condensed 

 into globular heads upon the peduncle ; sometimes the axillary 

 flowers appear in fascicles of pedicillated single flowers, or are 

 simply umbellate, or in umbels compounded to the second or 

 third degree. I have frequently observed the racemes growing 

 abundantly on the stems devoid of leaves. The flowers are ge- 

 nerally furnished with bracts ; they are extremely minute, and, 

 though often hairy, are sometimes destitute of pubescence : they 

 are, with very rare exceptions, universally unisexual and dioe- 

 cious. They are said to be sometimes monoecious ; but this ap- 

 pears doubtful. In the two instances recorded by DeCandolle, 

 I found, by an examination of the original specimens, that they 

 were decidedly dioecious. St. Hilaire records the existence of a 

 monoecious species of Cissampelos {C. monoica): this has not been 

 confirmed by any other observer, and is the only instance on 

 record. I have, however, seen two cases where the flowers are 

 distinctly hermaphrodite, or, rather, polygamous. I have ob- 

 served, in Anomospermum, a solitary ovary in the male flowers 

 in a few instances ; and I found it a universal feature in a spe- 

 cimen of Tiliacora from the island of Ceylon. 



The arrangement of the floral envelopes (sepals) is usually in 

 several ternary imbricated series, gradually decreasing outwards, 

 the two internal whorls being in most instances considerably 

 larger than the others ; and they probably constitute the true 

 normal number of six sepals ; and all the outer ones, frequently 

 very minute in size, may be considered as bracts. These six 

 sepals, though in estivation generally in two imbricate series, 

 are fixed in a nearly circular whorl around a small central torus; 

 but sometimes as many as five ternary whorls are seen arranged, 

 one above another, upon a cylindrical gynaecium, as in the Mag- 

 noliacece. The number in each series is generally three, though 

 sometimes four, five, or six occur : in Anamirta and Quinium we 

 have a pentamerous arrangement ; in Antitaxis the floral parts 

 are disposed in opposite pairs, while in Antizoma we have the 

 remarkable instance of two opposite sepals hooding two petals 

 placed before them : rarely, as in Rhaptomeris, owing to the 

 confluence of the margins of its six sepals, the calyx is gamo- 

 phyllous, being quite tubular and campanulate. In Synclisia, 

 according to Mr. Bentham, the sepals are somewhat united at 

 base into a very short tube; while in Stephania and Ci/clea, 

 although the sepals remain distinct, they assume, by their erect 

 position and approximated margins, the semblance of a tube. 

 The aestivation of the sepals, although in most cases imbricate, 



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