Mr. J. Miers on the Menispermaceae. 257 



nists which I have just combated, in uniting Anelasma with 

 Abuta: he divides this genus into four sections, — (1) Butua (or 

 Abuta proper) ; (2) Batschia ; (3) Anelasma ; (4) Corijnostemon, 

 which is founded on the plant I Imve here described as Abuta 

 (Hatschia) acutifolia (Spruce, 27G3), and wliich I placed in that 

 section on account of its hairy stamens. I have shown that the 

 stamon of this species differ in no respect from those of Batschia 

 racemosa and A. Seeinanni, exce])t in the greater breadth of the 

 filament in the three inner stamens : the section Corynostemon 

 will therefore hardly be received as a valid one, as my analyses* 

 will show. In regard to the determination of the several species 

 of Abuta, I regret to differ as much with Dr. Eichler as with 

 those botanists whose example he has adopted. The characters 

 on which I have endeavoured to establish the species, according 

 to the list that follows, are given at full length in my ' Contri- 

 butions to Botany,' now in type. 



Abuta, Barrerc, Aublet. — F/ores dioici. Masc. Sepala 9, in or- 

 dine ternario alterna, 6 exteriora bracteiformia, linearia, 3 in- 

 teriora majora, dcltoidca, acuta, concava, extus sericeo- 

 tomentosa, iestivatione valvata, apiee inflexa. Petala nulla. 

 Stamina G, libera, subbiseriata, sub?equalia, androecio brevi 

 insita, scpalis opposita ; jilumenta subcarnosa, suberecta, 

 apice incrassata, inflexa, et conniventia, glabra vel pilosa, 

 3 interiora latiora ; antlierce 2-loba?, lobis discretis, ovatis, sub- 

 parallelis, ad filamentum utroquc latere omnino adnatis, sin- 

 gulis rima marginali longitudinali dehiscentibus. — Fam. Se- 

 pnla G, ut in mare. Petala nulla. Stamina sterilia G, ajqualia, 

 Jilammta filiformia, subincurva, ovariis sequilonga, glabra aut 

 pilosa, interdum clavata et hinc apice glandulis 2 minutis 

 signata, gynsecio villosissimo affixa. Ovaria 3, libera, scpalis 

 interioribus opposita, dense scricea, 1-locularia; ovulum soli- 

 tarium, subincurvum, supra medium faciei ventralis funiculo 

 brevi suspensum. Stylus brevissimus, teres, subexcentricus. 

 Stigma carnosum, dcltoideo-obliquum, in lobos 3 digitatos 

 laciniatura. Drupa 3, vel abortu pauciores, magnae, sicca;, 

 valde tomcntosa;, horizontaliter oblongaj, brevitcr stipitatse, 

 styli vestigio prope basin notatae; putamen oblongum, sub- 

 compressum, utriuque ultra medium sulcatum, coriaceum, 1- 

 locularc, condylo scptiformi sulcis apposito e basi ultra me- 

 dium loculi protenso, proinde 2-marsupiatum, monospermum; 

 semen loculo conforme, bicrure ; albumen copiosum, carnosum, 

 fissuris numerosis anfractuosis irregularibus profunde rumi- 

 natum, integumentis laxis tenuissimis intra fissuras plicatis 

 cinctum ; embryo tenuis, teres, hippocrepice inflexus, centro 



* These will be figured in my ' Contributions to Botany.' 

 Ann. ^ Mag, N. Hist. Ser. 3. Vol. xiv. 17 



