402 MR. J. MIERS ON THE HIPPOCRATEACEZ OF SOUTH AMERICA. 
submediocribus, pedicellatis; sepalis rotundatis, fuscis, margine dentato-fimbriatis, 
extus cum toro convexo pedicelloque rugosis et albide lentiginosis; petalis oblongis, 
triplo longioribus, rubidulis, glabris, crassiusculis, subintegris, utrinque minutissime 
granulosis; disco majusculo, carnoso, depresse pulvinato, imo planatim marginato, 
glabro, ruguloso ; ovario trigonoideo, subdepresso ; stylo brevi, obtusato. In Guiana: 
v. 8. in herb. Mus. Brit., Cayenne (Martin). 
A well-marked species, very different from any of the preceding. The axils of its 
branches are 3 in. apart, while the opposite branchlets, placed at right angles, have axils 
1i in. apart. The leaves are 2-4 in. long, 13-21 in. broad, on a petiole 2-3 lines long: 
the axillary panicles are 1-1} in. long, the peduncle 2 lines, its opposite branchlets several 
times dichotomously divided, 3 lines long, the ultimate gradually much shorter and ap- 
proximated, so that the flowers appear corymbosely aggregated: the flower expanded is 
21-3 lines in diameter. 
11. PERITASSA. 
The type of this genus is a plant collected in Upper Peru by Mr. Spruce, and subse- 
quently described by Mr. Bentham under the name of Salacia dulcis. The genus consists 
of several species, natives of Peru, the Amazonas region, Brazil and Guiana. It is 
distinguished from all others by the character of its anthers, which consist of two distinct 
collateral lobes, each with a longitudinal suture, and attached extrorsely upon a conspi- 
euous excurrent connective ; its sepals and petals are dentieulated ; the disk is tubular and 
submembranaceous ; but its chief peculiarity is in the structure of its fruit and seeds, 
which have been already described (ante, p.324). The name of the genus is derived from 
epi, circum, rasow, colloco, because the stamens and ovary are encircled and partly con- 
cealed by the tubular disk, 
PERITASSA, nob. 
Salacia, Benth. in parte (non Linn.). 
Sepala 5, rotundata, crassiuscula, subimbricata, quorum 2 interiora paulo minora, margine tenui minute 
denticulata. Petala 5, alterna, 2—3-plo longiora, spathulato-oblonga, subcarnosula, margine late 
membranaceo pectinato-fimbriata aut sinuato-denticulata, æstivatione quincuncialiter imbricata. 
Discus sepalis paulo brevior, tubulosus, submembranaceus, albidus, margine fere integro aut minu- 
tissime crenulato subundulatus, Stamina 3, intra discum inserta, et eo 2-3-plo longiora, erecta; 
filamenta linearia, compressa, imo vix latiora; anthere didymæ, lobis parvis, ovatis, imo subdiva- 
ricatis, ad connectivum latiusculum apice conspicue excurrentem extrorsum adnatis, rima utrinque 
longitudinali dehiscentibus. Ovarium trigonoideum, conice depressum, triloculare; ovula 2 col- 
lateralia in quoque loculo suspensa; stylus brevis, obtusus; stigmata 3, minute dentiformia. 
Drupa ovata vel depresse globosa, 6-sulcata, 3-locularis, forsan intus pulposa, indehiscens, pericarpio 
subtenui aut chartaceo, ruguloso; dissepimentis fenestratis et fere evanidis; semina 6, aut abortu 3, 
uniserialia, angulato-ovata; testa crassiuscula, coriacea, rugosa, e laminis 2 composita, lamina inte- 
riore vasibus spiralibus innumerosis longitudinalibus creberrimis undique repleta ; integumentum 
internum cum testa confusum; embryo exalbuminosus, trigonoideo-ovatus, cotyledonibus 2 aut 
seepius 3, zequalibus, angulato-ovatis, crasse carnosis, radicula minima, supera, hilo proxima. Arbus- 
cule Brasilienses, Guianenses, et Peruviane, ramose: ramuli oppositi, verruculosi : folia opposita, 
elliptico-oblonga, subacuta, integra vel subserrata, breviter petiolata: panicule axillares, folio multo 
breviores, 2-3-chotome divise : flores parviusculi, 
