MR. J. MIERS ON THE HIPPOCRATEACEÆ OF SOUTH AMERICA. 381 
In habit this plant resembles the preceding; its axils are 14-14 in. apart; the leaves 
are 12-14 lines long, in which the acute apical sinus is included, and 10 lines broad 
below the summit, cuneately narrowed at the base, upon a petiole 13 line long; the 
peduncles are very slender, 2-3 lines long; the flowers, in bud, are 3 line in diameter. 
8. CLERCIA CLUSLEFOLIA, nob.: ramulis tenuibus, subcinereis, ruguloso-striatis, lenti- 
cellis albidulis concavis crebre verruculosis: foliis rotundato-ovalibus, imo sub- 
cuneatis et subacutis, apice late rotundatis, subemarginatis, vel obsolete mucronatis, 
integerrimis, coriaceis, marginibus cartilagineis paulo revolutis, supra fusco-viridibus, 
planis, opacis, nervis omnino immersis, subtus pallidioribus, brunneis, opacis, nervis 
tenuissimis valde divergentibus arcuatim nexis paulo prominentibus, sub lente 
minute granulatis; petiolo semitereti, supra sulcato, subcorrugulato, limbo 10-plo 
breviore: paniculis axillaribus, solitariis vel pluribus, e gemma enatis, folio multo 
brevioribus, tenuissime dichotomo-ramosis, nigris, glabris, ramis angulatis; brac- 
teolis parvis, ovatis, acutis; floribus minutis. In Brasilia: v. s. ¿n herb. Hook., Rio 
de Janeiro (Gomez). 
A very distinct species, approaching the preceding, with axils about 1 inch apart. The 
leaves are 13-23 in. long, 14-2 in. broad, on a petiole 3 lines long; the panicle is about 
3 in. long; the peduncle is 3 lines, the primary branches 2 lines long, the tertiary 
branches bearing about three extremely minute flowers, in too young a state to be 
examined. 
8. ToNTELEA. 
This genus, established by Aublet in 1775, has hardly been accepted by botanists, some 
having altogether ignored it, while others, among whom is Decandolle*, considered it 
identical with Salacia. Schreber altered its name to Tonsella, which by Sprengel t was 
made to comprise twenty-one species that belong to Raddia and other genera. The fault 
of its ambiguity may in great measure be attributed to Aublet, who so far misappre- 
hended its structure that he ascribed his type to two different plants, actually belonging to 
distinct genera. This mistake would not have been detected if I had not been able to 
examine the floral structure in his original specimens preserved in the British Museum. 
In my description of this typical species, the circumstances connected with this mis- 
take are explained. The genus, thus certified, is corroborated by the examination of 
numerous other species, and is marked by very good characters; it is easily distinguished 
by the habits of the plants, their much divided panicles, with very small, often minute 
flowers, and by the shape of its disk—in both which respects it resembles Clercia, from 
which it differs in its constantly much smaller drupaceous fruits, which seldom exceed 
half an inch in length. All the species are arborescent, with opposite scandent branches, 
which are more or less tomentous, with opposite, ovate or more elongated, entire or sub- 
serrated, glabrous leaves. | 
The small flowers of their much divided panicle have five minute sepals, and five alter- 
nate petals, generally very glabrous, a short subtubular disk surrounding three extrorse 
* Prodromus, i. 570. T Syst. Veget. i. 176. 
YOL. XXVIII. or 
