2C0 Mr. J. Miers on the Menispcrrnaceaj. 



laama form branching erect trees. Gardner says of the typical 

 ])lant that it is " a small tree ;" and all the other specimens of 

 the genus that I have seen bear the aspect of an erect habit. 

 In every instance seen by me the leaves are perfectly glabrous, 

 and by their nervation and general aspect resemble those of 

 Cinnamomum ; they never approach an orbicular, and rarely an 

 oval form, but are usually long and narrow, very thick and 

 coriaceous, both sides being subpolished, owing to the immer- 

 sion of the nerves and more especially of the veins ; they present 

 a peculiar appearance from the manner in which their long and 

 strong petioles (much thickened at their apex and articulated at 

 the base) are inserted at an oblique angle on the plane of the 

 leaf. The male inflorescence consists of several extremely slen- 

 der branching panicles, fasciculated and issuing from a point 

 above the insertion of the petioles, the rachis and its short 

 branches being almost capillary, black, and glabrous : these 

 branches are also charged, at regular intervals, with 3-4 fasci- 

 culated ramifications, that again bear several j)cdiccllatcd minute 

 tiowers, which are ghibrous and black wlien dried. This is very 

 different from Abuta. The male inflorescence is shorter, seldom 

 exceeding the length of the petiole, and consists of one or two 

 simple racemes, with a single flower upon each lengthened and 

 spreading pedicel, bracteated at its origin, all quite glabrous. 



Anelasma, nob. — Flares dioici. Masc. Scpala 6 vel 9, in ordine 

 ternario alterna, oblonga, carnosa, glabra, 3 interiora majora, 

 obovata, concava, intus striis 2 notata, aestivatione subimbricata. 

 Petala nulla. Stamina 6, sepalis opposita, subseriata, crecta, 

 conniventia, 3 interiora paulo longiora et latiora : filamenta 

 carnosa, subincurva, sursum incrassata ; anthera subglobosse, 

 apicales, filamento subintrorsum semi-immersse, rima transver- 

 sali obliqua 2-valvatim hiantes, sapius septo valvis parallelo et 

 rarius e septulo cruciformi, 3-4-locellat£e. — Foim. Sepala ma- 

 rium. Stamina sterilia 6, brevia, circa gynsecium hypogyna, 

 compressa, carnosa, apice 2-glandulosa. Ovaria 3, libera, 

 gibboso-globosa, gynsecio brevi centrali insita, glabra, lucida, 

 carnosa, 1-locularia, l~ovulata: stylus brevissimus; stigma 

 acute et breviter bifidum aut obsoletum. Drupa 3, vel abortu 

 2-1, siccse, oblongae, subgibbse, glaberrimse, subnitidse, imo 

 excentrice stipitatse, styli vestigio a basi baud distaute notatae ; 

 putamen et semen iis Abuta conformia. 



Frutices vel arbusculse Americce intertropicce, erecta, ramosa ; 

 ranmli substricti, glabri ; folia alterna, oblonga, crasso-coriacea, 

 utrinque glaberrima, nitida, S-5-nervia {hand penninervia) , 

 nervis venisque transversis sapius immersis, hinc interdum fere 

 evenia ; petiolo summo basique valde tumido : paniculse c? race- 



