170 Mr. J. Miers on the Menispermacee. 
56. SyncuisiA. 
This genus was established by Mr. Bentham in his ‘ Genera 
Plantarum? (i. 36) ; it is one of African origin and of much in- 
terest. Although nothing is known of its female flower or of 
its seminal structure, it is there placed in the same section as 
Tiliacora and Abuta, both very peculiar genera, remarkable for 
their seeds with deeply ruminated albumen and a very long, 
narrow, hippocrepiform embryo. The only apparent ground 
for this arrangement is the valvate estivation of its inner whorl 
of sepals; but with equal or even greater reason it might be 
placed among the Pachygonee, near another African genus, 
Triclisia, in which the inner sepals have also a valvate zstivation 
and at their lower edges, though not agglutinated, adhere closely 
together by their tomentose margins, and the stamens are 
likewise partly monadelphous. Until its seed be known, it 
appears to me much safer to place it. among the genera of doubt- 
ful position. One of its chief peculiarities is the agglutination 
of the inner whorl of sepals, for more than half their length, 
into a cylindrical 3-lobed tube, in which respect it bears some 
resemblance to Cyclea and Peraphora: the six more external 
sepals, in two series, are much smaller, quite free, linear, and 
very acute. It has six minute scale-like petals, and nine sta- 
mens one-third the length of the inner sepals; of these, three 
are more external, free, and a trifle shorter than the other six, 
which are briefly monadelphous at their base, and central. The . 
inflorescence consists of two supra-axillary very sleuder pedicels, 
double the length of the petiole, each bearing a solitary flower, 
which is of rather a large size for the order. In its 1-flowered 
axillary pedicels it therefore bears some resemblance to Pycnar- 
rhena, Syrrhonema, and Antitaxis. Only one species is known, 
which has very slender scandent branches, and distant, cordate, 
somewhat oval leaves, acuminated at the apex, with rather short 
petioles. 
Syncris1a, Benth.—Flores dioici.— Mase. Sepala 9, subcarnosa, 
in seriebus 3 alternatim disposita, quorum 3 exteriora bractei- 
formia, 3 intermedia paulo majora, cuncta linearia, acutissima, 
extus longe pilosa, intus glabra, 3 interiora 4-plo majora, in 
tubum cylindraceum apice 3-partitum agglutinata, laciniis 
tubo dimidio brevioribus, una cum tubo extus glabris, erectis, 
subobtusis, sepalis externis 3-plo latioribus, marginibus sericeo 
tomentosis, estivatione valvatim clausis. Petala 6, minima, 
sepalis interioribus 10-plo breviora, suborbicularia, imo bre- 
viter unguiculata, glabra. Stamina 9, quorum 3 exteriora 
-libera, paululo breviora, 6 centralia imo in stipite breviter 
monadelpha, sepalis interioribus 3-plo breviora; filamenta 
