Mr. J. Miers on the Meuispermaceae. 12/ 



Ahuta, Batschia, Anelasma, Triclisia, and Syrrhonema, the petals 

 are altogether wanting, as they are apparently deficient in Fi- 

 braurea, and also absent in the male flowers of Calycocarpum. 



Coscinium is exclusively an Asian genus, generally inhabiting 

 the islands of the Indian Archipelago. Its species are all climb- 

 ing plants, with very large, thick, coriaceous, coarsely nerved 

 leaves, which are generally covered beneath with thick tomentum: 

 they are oblong, sometimes palate, in other cases peltate, and 

 supported by long and very strong petioles, which are tumid 

 and tortuous at both extremities. 



Coscinium, Coleb. Pereira, Lindl. — Flores dioici. Masc. Se- 

 pala 9 (imo bracteis 2 donata) in ordine ternario alternatim 

 disposita, quorum 6 interiora majora, spathulato-ovata, valde 

 carnosa, intus glabra, extus sericea, sestivatione imbricata, 

 demum subrotatim expansa. Petala nulla. Stamina 6, bi- 

 serialia, androceo cylindrico affixa : filamenta carnosa, 3 exte- 

 riora libera, apice reflexa, 3 interiora alterna, erecta, ad me- 

 dium monadelpha, sepalis interioribus opposita : anthera ex- 

 teriorum introrsse, l-lobse; interiorum subextrorsse, ^-lobse, 

 lobis sejunctis, utrinque lateralibus ; omne apice filamenti 

 dorso affixse, et semiimmersse, 2-locellat8e, 3-valvat8e, valvis 

 rima longitudinali hiantibus. Ovarii rudimentum nullum. 

 — Fcem. Sepala maris; petala nulla; stamina 6, sterilia, 

 gynseceo affixa; ovaria 3, gibboso-ovata, gynseceo columnari 

 insita, 1-locularia, 1-ovulata. Stylus tenuis, brevis. Stigma 

 recurvum (sec. Roxb.). Drupa 3, vel abortu pauciores, 

 gibbosse, subovales v. globosse, carnosse, tomentosae, stipite 

 crasso brevi suffultse, stylo in angulo versus basin notatae, 1- 

 spermse : putamen ovatum, osseum, crassum, 1-loculare, dorsQ 

 convexius, sutura peripherica vix conspicua ; condylus internus, 

 ventralis, majusculus, globosus, in loculo longe protensus, 2- 

 cameratus, foraminibus 2 extus perforatus : semen loculo con- 

 forme, meniscoideo-globosum, facie ventrali valde cavum, 

 hinc condylum amplectens, et ei raphe longitudinali affixum : 

 integumenta tenuiter membranacea, intra plicaturas albuminig 

 insinuata : embryo paulo convexus, intra albumen amplum 

 carnosum quasi 2-laminare inclusus, lamina externa tenui, 

 interna valde crassa et in lobos plurimos convoluto-plicatos 

 undique profunde ruminata ; cotylcdonibus tenuissime foliaceis, 

 valde expansis, undique profunde sinuato-laciniatis, lateraliter 

 divaricatis, et in locellis albuminis utrinque inclusis ; radicula 

 brevissiraa, tereti, ad stylum spectante. 



Frutices scandentes, in India Orientali et insulis propinquis in^ 

 digeni: foha magna, longe petiolata, oblonga, peltata vel palata, 

 SJ-V-nervia, crasso-coriacea, supra glabra, subtus tomentosa ; 



