Mr. J. Miers on the Menispermaceze. 3 
axillary, with one or several racemes, more or less simple, grow- 
ing from a point a little above the origin of the petiole: the 
pedicels are sometimes branched, when the inflorescence becomes 
somewhat paniculate ; at other times the flowers are condensed 
into globular heads upon the peduncle; sometimes the axillary 
flowers appear in fascicles of pedicillated single flowers, or are 
simply umbellate, or in umbels compounded to the second or 
third degree. I have frequently observed the racemes growing 
abundantly on the stems devoid of leaves. The flowers are ge- 
nerally furnished with bracts; they are extremely minute, and, 
though often hairy, are sometimes destitute of pubescence : they 
are, with very rare exceptions, universally unisexual and dice- 
cious. They are said to be sometimes moncecious ; but this ap- 
pears doubtful. In the two instances recorded by DeCandolle, 
I found, by an examination of the original specimens, that they 
were decidedly dicecious. St. Hilaire records the existence of a 
moneecious species of Cissampelos (C. monoica): this has not been 
confirmed by any other observer, and is the only instance on 
record. I have, however, seen two cases where the flowers are 
distinctly hermaphrodite, or, rather, polygamous. I have ob- 
served, in Anomospermum, a solitary ovary in the male flowers 
in a few instances; and I found it a universal feature in a spe- 
cimen of Tiliacora from the island of Ceylon. 
The arrangement of the floral envelopes (sepals) is usually in 
several ternary imbricated series, gradually decreasing outwards, 
the two internal whorls being in most instances considerably 
_ larger than the others; and they probably constitute the true 
normal number of six sepals; and all the outer ones, frequently 
very minute in size, may be considered as bracts. These six 
sepals, though in estivation generally in two imbricate series, 
are fixed in a nearly circular whorl around a small central torus; 
but sometimes as many as five ternary whorls are seen arranged, 
one above another, upon a cylindrical gynecium, as in the Mag- 
noliacee. The number in each series is generally three, though 
sometimes four, five, or six occur: in Anamirta and Quiniuwm we 
have a pentamerous arrangement; in Antitaxis the floral parts 
are disposed in opposite pairs, while in Antizoma we have the 
remarkable instance of two opposite sepals hooding two petals 
placed before them: rarely, as in Rhaptomeris, owing to the 
confluence of the margins of its six sepals, the calyx is gamo- 
phyllous, being quite tubular 4nd campanulate. In Synelisia, 
according to Mr. Bentham, the sepals are somewhat united at 
base into a very short tube; while in Stephania and Cyclea, 
although the sepals remain distinct, they assume, by their erect 
position and approximated margins, the semblance of a tube. 
The estivation of the sepals, although in most cases imbricate, 
1* 
