MR. J. MIERS ON THE HIPPOCRATEACEZ OF SOUTH AMERICA. 351 
nalibus, folio dimidio vel bis triente brevioribus, subtomentellis, repetitim dichotome 
divisis, ramulis longiusculis, laxe divaricatis ; bracteolis parvis, ovatis, acutis ; floribus 
parvis, luteis: capsulis 3, distinctis, oblongis, utrinque rotundatis, vel apice brevis- 
sime retusis, viridibus, compressis, faciebus paululo convexis, opacis, leviter striolato- 
nervosis. In Peruvia: v. s. in herb. Mus. Brit., Peru (Pavon, in fructu). 
The internodes of the branchlets are 11-2 in. long; the leaves are 2-33 in. long, 2-23 
in. broad, on a petiole 3-4 lines long. According to the drawing of Ruiz and Pavon, 
the axillary panicles are 2 in. long, including the peduncle 6-9 lines long; the primary 
branches are 4 lines, the ultimate 1 line long; the terminal corymb, by the fall of the 
leaves, assumes a more expanded form, being 4 in. long. The capsules in the specimen 
are 24 in. long, 1i in. broad; the winged seeds are 13 in. long, 5 lines broad. 
28. HiPPOCRATEA OVATA, Lam. Illustr. i. 100; Poir. Dict. Suppl. i. 606, tab. 28. fig. 2; 
Vahl, Enum. ii. 206; DC. Prodr. i. 567 ; Griseb. (non Lam.), Fl. Br. W. Ind. 148; 
idem, Pl. Wright. 172; idem, Cat. Pl. Cub. 56: ramulis fuscis, teretibus, glabris, 
valde divaricatis, lenticellis parvis flavidis verruculosis, junioribus rufo-tomentellis ; 
foliis ovatis, imo obtusis, in petiolum subito breviter cuneatis, apice rotundatis aut 
valde obtusis, marginibus subintegris obsolete crenulatis, submembranaceis, supra 
viridibus, opacis, nervis tenuibus immersis, subtus pallidioribus, costa nervisque 
nigris paulo prominulis, venis transversis vix perspicuis; petiolo tenuissimo, cana- 
liculato, limbo 8-plo breviore : paniculis axillaribus et terminalibus, folium subæquan- 
tibus, dichotome pluriramosis, cum ramulis 2 brevissimis paucifloris in dichotomiis, 
ramis compresso-teretibus, rubello-tomentellis; petalis oblongo-ovatis, sepalis 4-plo 
longioribus, extus tomentellis, intus barbatis; diseo alte conico, griseo-tomentello, 
apice rufo-tomentoso. In Antillis, Puerto Rico (sec. Poir.): v. s. in herb. Hook., 
Aspinwall, Panama (Hayes, 595). 
I have not met with any other specimen than the above, which corresponds with 
Lamarck’s and Poiret's drawing and description. Lamarck established and figured this : 
specles upon a specimen collected in Cayenne by Richard; Poiret described it from 
another collected in Puerto Rico by Ledru; Vahl quotes from a specimen collected also 
in Puerto Rico by West, which he considered to be identical with the H. volubilis of 
Linneeus, and H. scandens of Plumier, both which, of far anterior date, he suppressed in 
favour of Lamarck's species, contrary to all established rules. Decandolle subsequently 
followed the example of Vahl, adding another synonym in Swartz's species, all distinct 
plants. Dr. Grisebach enumerates under H. ovata, not only Lamarck's plant, but also 
the H. volubilis, Sw. (non Linn.), H. levigata, Rich., and H. discolor, Mey., all very dif- 
ferent species ; and in describing its capsules he refers to Purdie's specimen from Trinidad, 
referable to his .H. scutellata, and which belongs to the genus Prionostemma. His details 
and references are far too confused to be relied upon or trusted for the characters of this 
species ; and his variety from Cuba, from the details of its inflorescence, is more probably 
a variety of his Anthodon verrucosum from Cuba, which belongs to the genus Raddia. 
In Hayes's plant above cited, the leaves are 11-2 in. long, 11-13 lines broad, on a 
petiole 21-3 lines long; in Lamarck's drawing they are 15 in. long, 9 lines broad; the 
3 B2 
