486 Mr. J. Miers on the Menispermacee. 
XLVI.—On the Menispermacez. 
By Joun Miers, F.R.S., F.L.S. &e. 
[Continued from p. 323.] 
5. CHASMANTHERA, 
The typical species collected by Schimper in Abyssinia was 
named Chasmanthera dependens by Hochstetter, who gave an im- 
perfect description of the genus in the ‘ Ratisbon Flora’ for 1843. 
This plant has a very peculiar habit, having large orbicular cordate 
hairy leaves, on long petioles, and a very elongated slender 
simple raceme. It belongs to the tribe Heterocliniee, as shown 
by the structure of its fruit: its putamen is oval, compressed, 
and 3-dentate, as in Odontocarya; but its condyle is internal, 
globular, and hollow, with an external linear foramen, as in 
Tinospora. Its sepals and petals have the usual ternary disposi- 
tion, and its 6 central stamens are monadelphous for half their — 
length. Some of the specimens have male flowers, the others 
are in fruit; although the drupes are not sufficiently matured 
to distinguish the embryo, the structure of the putamen, with 
its seed, is quite evident. I have added a second species from 
western tropical Africa. 
CuasmMAntTHERA, Hochs.—Char. reform. Flores dioici. Mase. 
Sepala 6, alternatim 2-serialia, 3 exteriora linearia, acuminata, 
extus hirsuta, setis longis ciliata, 3 interiora rotundato-ob- 
longa, margine eroso-denticulata, basi cuneata, concava, te- 
nuiter membranacea, 3-nervia, dorso hirsutiuscula. Petala 
6, biserialia, sepalis paulo breviora, carnosa, oblonga, obtusa, 
imo breviter unguiculata, marginibus vix inflexis, intus linea 
loriformi prominente signata. Stamina 6, petalis opposita, 
erecta, connata ; filamenta petalis equilonga, e basi ultra me- 
dium in cylindrum crassum monodelphum coalita, superne 
libera ; anthere basifixee, subcordate, 2-lobe, lobis oblongis, 
collateralibus, connectivo angusto adnatis, rima marginali 
dehiscentibus. Ovaria rudimentaria vel nullan—Fem. ignote. _ 
Drupe 3, ovate, carnose, erecte, sessiles, apice stylo subex- 
centrico apiculate: putamen ovatum, compressum, osseum, 
extus convexum, carina dorsali in apiculum terminata, ventre — 
planum ; condylus hinc internus, ovato-globosus, cavus, meatu 
externo longitudinali perforatus: czetera ignota. 
Frutices Africani scandentes, ramulis longissimis, dependentibus; — 
folia majuscula, late orbiculata, reniformi-cordata, subsinuato- 
lobata, 7-9-nervia, tenuia, reticulata, utrinque pubescentia, lon- 
gissime petiolata: racemi awillares, simplices, petiolo longiores; 
flores breviter pedicellati, bracteati. 
