MENISPEBMACE^E. 33 



3. Abuta Barr. — Flowers almost of Cocculus, apetalous ; sepals 

 6-12, in 2-4 series, outer 3-9 small ; inner by far the larger, subpe- 

 taloid, valvate or slightly imbricate. Stamens 6 (sterile in female 

 flower) ; outer 3 free ; anthers 2-locular ; inner 3 free or connate at 

 base, anthers sub-4-lobed. Carpels 3 ; styles cylindrical recurved. 

 Drupes subovoid ; scar of style a little way from base ; cavity of 

 putamen divided at centre by a thin erect lamina ; seed induplicate 

 on lamina ; albumen transversely ruminated ; embryo linear, hippo- 

 crepiform ; cotyledons appressed. — Leaves coriaceous, 3-5-nerved to 

 base; flowers in subsimple (female) or branched (male) racemose 

 cymes {Tropical America). See p. 5. 



4. Spirospermum Dup.-Th. — Perianth almost of Cocculus. Sta- 

 mens 6 ; filaments free thickened at apex ; anthers underneath apex, 

 vertical, subintrorse, dehiscence longitudinal submarginal. Female 

 flower. . . ? Drupes 3-9, shortly stipitate, orbiculate-circinate, com- 

 pressed ; scar of style a little removed from base ; putamen thin. 

 Seed smooth, spirally involute ; albumen little ; embryo shorter 

 than seed, linear, incurved-circinate"; cotyledons appressed (one 

 smaller, subabortive ?) shorter than radicle. — Climbing shrubs, leaves 

 oblong glabrous coriaceous; inflorescence elongate; branches pendu- 

 lous thin compound in male plants ; thicker simple in female 

 {Madagascar). See p. 6. 



5. Tiliacora Colebr. — Sepals 6-9 ; outer 3-6 in 1, 2 series, small, 

 bract-like ; inner 3 much larger subpetaloid, valvate or slightly im- 

 bricate. Petals 6 in 2 series, small, cuneate, subcordate. Stamens 

 6, in 2 series ; filaments erect, free ; anthers elongate, introrse, 

 2- celled. Perianth of female flower similar to male. Carpels 6-12; 

 styles short subulate. Drupes oo, stipitate ; stalks connate at base ; 

 pericarp long-obovate, with a very short spur at base, laterally com- 

 pressed ; scar of style very near base ; putamen smooth sulcate. 

 Seeds uncinate-incurved. ; albumen ruminated; embryo almost as 

 long as seed; cotyledons appressed. — Stems climbing; leaves 

 ovate; inflorescence elongate {Tropical Asia, East Tropical Africa ?). 

 See p. 6. 



6 ? Synclisia Benth. — Male flower. Sepals 9 ; outer 6, short 



VOL. III. d 



