allied to the Natural Order Burmanniacese. 543 



floribus uni brae teat is, bracteis pedicellis oppositis, periaiithio medio hand 

 constricto : laciniis obtusioribus, capsula tî-costatâ apice dehiscenti. 



Sir William Hooker, in his Icônes Platitarum, tab. 254, has fignied the first- 

 mentioned species of Dictijosfega under the name of Apterla orohaiichhndes ; 

 but it will be seen that this eminent botanist was under a mistake in referring 

 the plant to Jpteria, owing- perhaps to the imperfect description given of that 

 genus by Mr. Nuttall. 



2. CVMBOCARPA. 



Char. Dijf. Perianthlum tubiilosum, ovario adnatum, supernè liberum : I'lmbu 

 6-fido, laciniis tribus alternis minoribus. Stamina omnint) Dicfyostegœ. 

 Stylus simplex. Stigma trilobum ; lohis gibboso-rotundatis, corniculis 

 2 subulatis erectis instructis. Ovarium gibboso-trigonum, uniloculare, 

 placentis tribus parietalibns. Capsula 1-locularis, latere unico ad angii- 

 lum superiorem tantum dehiscens. Semina numerosissima, scobiformia; 

 testa reticulata nucleum vix snperante. 



Char. Xat. Periantliium monophyllum, tubulosum, petaloideum, siibgibbo- 

 sum, persistens, infernè ovario adnatum, supernè liberum, angustatum, 

 ore ampliato : limbo 6-diviso, laciniis erectis, incequalibus, 3 exterioribus 

 (sepalis) acutis, sinubus rotundatis, 3 interioribus (petalis) subunguicu- 

 latis, brevioribus, ovalibus. Stamina 3, omnino Dictyostegce. Stylus 

 i-ectus, tenuis, trigonus, persistens, longitudine staminum. Stigma tri- 

 lobum ; lohis gibboso-ovatis, divergentibus, utrinque appendice longo 

 subulato erecto incurvato auctis. Ovarium adhœrens, subpyriforme, 

 inœqualitèr trigonum, apice libero conico, uniloculare, placentis tribus 

 parietalibns multi-ovulatis. Pericurpium capsulare, perianthio marces- 

 cente obtectum, oblongum, gibbosum, trigonum, angulis rotundatis, uni- 

 loculare, seminibus minutissimis e placentis tribus parietalibns radian- 

 tibus dense refertum, angulo siiperiore lacerato hians. Semina minuta, 

 oblonga, scobiformia, apice attenuata ; testa nucleo confornii, reticulata, 

 areolis elongatis angustissimis, costis valdè prominulis ; funiculo tenui 

 ejusdem longitudinis. 



Plantée (brasilienses) rhizocarpw, radicejibrosd, caule simplici subflexuoso erecto. 

 Folia sessilia, bracteiformia, erecfa, aut adpressa. Infiorescentia dichofomè 



