486 Mr. J. Miers on the Menisperraacese. 



XLVI. — On the Menispermaceae. 

 By John Miers, F.E.S., F.L.S. &c. 



[Continued from p. 323.] 



5. Chasmantheea. 



The typical species collected by Schimper in Abyssinia was 

 named Chasmanthera dependens by Hochstetter, who gave an im- 

 perfect description of the genus in the • Ratisbon Flora ' for 1843. 

 This plant has a very peculiar habit, having large orbicular cordate 

 hairy leaves, on long petioles, and a very elongated slender 

 simple raceme. It belongs to the tribe HeterocliniecB, as shown 

 by the structure of its fruit : its putamen is oval, compressed, 

 and 3-dentate, as in Odontocarya ; but its condyle is internal, 

 globular, and hollow, with an external linear foramen, as in 

 Tinospora. Its sepals and petals have the usual ternary disposi- 

 tion, and its 6 central stamens are monadelphous for half their 

 length. Some of the specimens have male flowers, the others 

 are in fruit ; although the drupes are not sufficiently matured 

 to distinguish the embryo, the structure of the putamen, with 

 its seed, is quite evident. I have added a second species from 

 w^estern tropical Africa. 



Chasmanthera, Hochs. — Char, reform. Flores dioici. Masc. 

 Sepala 6, alternatim 2-serialia, 3 exteriora linearia, acuminata, 

 extus hirsuta, setis longis ciliata, 3 interiora rotundato-ob- 

 longa, margine eroso-denticulata, basi cuneata, concava, te- 

 nuiter membranacea, 3-nervia, dorso hirsutiuscula. Petala 

 6, biserialia, sepalis paulo breviora, carnosa, oblonga, obtusa, 

 imo breviter unguiculata, marginibus vix inflexis, intus linea 

 loriformi prominente signata. Stamina 6, petalis opposita, 

 erecta, connata ; filamenta petalis sequilonga, e basi ultra me- 

 dium in cylindrum crassum monodelphum coalita, superne 

 libera; anthem basifixse, subcordatse, 2-lob8e, lobis oblongis, 

 collateralibus, connectivo angusto adnatis, rima marginali 

 dehiscentibus. Ovaria rudimentaria vel nulla. — Foem. ignotse. 

 DrupcE 3, ovatse, carnosse, erectse, sessiles, apice stylo subex- 

 centrico apiculatse : putamen ovatum, compressum, osseum, 

 extus convexum, cai-ina dorsali in apiculura terminata, ventre 

 planum ; condylus hinc internus, ovato-globosus, cavus, meatu 

 externo longitudinali perforatus : csetera ignota. 



Frutices Africani scandentes, ramulis longissimis, dependentibus ; 

 folia majuscula, late orbiculata, reniformi-cordata, subsinuato- 

 lobata, 7-9-nervia, tenuia, reticulata, utrinque pubescentia, Ion- 

 gissime petiolata : racemi axillares, simplices. petiolo longiores ; 

 flores breviter pedicellati, bracteati. 



