382 MR. J. MIERS ON THE HIPPOCRATEACEA OF SOUTH AMERICA. 
stamens, and a small trigonoid 3-celled ovary, which is surmounted by a very short style, 
and terminated by three acute, divaricating stigmata. The fruit is a small globular or 
oval drupe, with a very thick, coriaceous, indehiscent pericarp, which is often verrucated, 
3-locular, sometimes, by abortion, having only one cell, containing one or two dry, exal- 
buminous, oblong seeds. 
ToNTELEA, Aubl. 
Tonsella, Schreb. ; Anthodon, Mart. (in parte), non R. & P.; Salacia, Benth., Hook. (in parte), non 
Linn.; Salacia et Hippocratea, Camb. (in parte). 
Sepala 5, parva, suborbicularia, carnosula, margine sspe erosulo. Petala 5, alterna, duplo majora, obo- 
vata, margine membranaceo, eroso, æstivatione quincuncialiter imbricata, persistentia. Discus 
brevis, tubulari-campaniformis, margine tenui, crenato. Stamina 3, intra discum inserta; filamenta 
complanata, imum versus sensim latiora, apice reflexo, disco paulo longiora; anthere subglobosæ, 
vel transversim reniformes, cruciatim sulcate, medio dorsi extrorsum affixæ, 4-locellatz, rima trans- 
versa bivalvatim patentissime dehiscentes. Ovarium depressum, subconicum, subtrigonoideum, 
intra discum positum, triloculare, loculis staminibus alternis; ovula in quoque loculo 6, collateralia, 
per paria superposita, axi crebriter affixa: stylus brevissimus, subtrigonus : stigmata 3, acuta, rarius 
obtusa, stylo longiora, patentim divaricata. Drupa subparva, globosa, disco petalis staminibusque 
persistentibus stipitata, pericarpio crassissimo, duro, indehiscente, 3-loculari, dissepimentis crassi- 
usculis: semina abortione sæpe in loculis solitaria, loculo uno alterove interdum effoeto: csetera 
ignota. 
Arbuscule aut suffrutices in America meridionali vel in insulis Antillanis vigentes; rami oppositi, sepe 
scandentes ; folia opposita, ovata vel oblonga, integra aut subserrata, glabra, breviter petiolata; pani- 
cule axillares vel terminales, corymbose, sepius expanse et repetitim divise, bracteolate ; flores numero- 
sissimi, minimi. 
1. TONTELEA SCANDENS, Aubl. Pl. Guian. i. 31, tab. 10 (in parte): Tonsella scandens, 
Vahl, Symb. ii. 17: Tonsella scabra, Vahl (in parte), Enum. 29: Salacia scabra, 
DC. (in parte), Prodr. i. 570: scandens, ramis teretibus, striatis, lenticellis verru- 
eulosis; axillis remotis; ramulis levibus, patentissimis: foliis ovatis, imo obtusis 
aut subaeutis, apice in acumen obtusulum vel acutum attenuatis, margine obsolete et 
remote sinuato-serrulatis, submembranaceis, supra pallide viridibus, nervis tenuissimis 
venisque reticulatis haud conspicuis, subtus subpallidioribus, nervis venisque pro- 
minulis; petiolo tenui, canaliculato, ruguloso, limbo 12-plo breviore: paniculis 
corymbosis, axillaribus et terminalibus, folio dimidio brevioribus, multidivisis, ramis 
trichotomis, vel dichotomis, cum ramulo breviore in dichotomiis, 4-gonis, glabris, 
bracteolatis ; floribus minutis, numerosissimis, pedicellatis; sepalis triangularibus 
petalisque oblongis triplo longioribus, opacis, glabris, carnosulis, margine papilloso- 
fimbriatis; stylo brevi; stigmatibus coæquilongis, oblique suberectis. In Guiana 
et in Antillis: v. s. in herb. Mus. Brit. (Aublet, spec. typ.); India occident. 
(Shakspeare). 
I have before alluded to Aublet's misapprehension about this species. In his plate 10 
he shows, in fig. 10, a leaf in its natural size, supposed to belong to the upper figure of 
the whole plant of Tontelea scandens, reduced to half its size; but that leaf belongs to 
_ another species, not to this plant. Among the typical plants in the British Museum we 
