LJ 
MR. J. MIERS ON THE HIPPOCRATEACEX OF SOUTH AMERICA. 421 
breviter pedunculatis, repetitim dichotome divisis, ramulis paulo divaricatis, angu- 
latis, glabris, opacis, minute verruculosis, opposite bracteolatis, ultimis flores sin- 
gulos vel 2 pedicellatos gerentibus; bracteolis acute ovatis, parvis, marginibus 
membranaceis; floribus subparvis, glabris; ceteris ut in diagnosi generica: drupa 
oblongo-ovata, nitida, plurisperma. In Brasilia septentrionali: v. s. n herb. meo et 
aliorum, Rio Negro, ad San Gabriel (Spruce, 2097, in flore et fructu). 
This species was distributed as a celastrineous plant on account of its pentandrous 
flowers. From their slenderness the branches are probably pendent, their axils are 
1i-1i inch apart; the leaves are 32—5 in. long (including the narrow acuminated apex 
3-33 lines long), and 13-13 in. broad, on a petiole 3-3} lines long. The axillary panicles 
are 13-13 in. long, the peduncle being 2 lines, the dichotomous branchlets 3-5 lines 
long, the ultimate pair (one of which is often wanting) 1 or 2 lines long, the pedicel 
1 line long; the petals are $line long, $ line broad. The fruit is 1] in. long, nearly 
lin. in diameter, has a polished coriaceous pericarp half a line in thickness, with three 
or four submembranaceous dissepiments, irregular in direction, and sometimes fenes- 
trated by the unequal pressure of the seeds in growth: in my specimen the seeds are six 
in number, each about 7 lines long, 4 lines in diameter, and they appear superposed and 
attached by their hilar extremity to the middle of the axis of the fruit ; for I noticed that 
all the seeds in the upper portion pointed downwards, while those of the lower portion 
had the hilum directed upwards; they are all surrounded by a lax coating of cellular 
tissue, probably the dried mucilaginous pulp by which they are invested in the living 
state; the testa is dark, rugous, coriaceous, rather thin, and somewhat brittle after it is 
dry, and when broken across is seen to be filled with innumerable crowded white 
flexuous threads, which may be pulled out to the length of half an inch before they 
break, being evidently the spiral vessels of a ramified raphe: the submembranaceous 
inner integument adheres to the testa; the embryo has no albumen, and consists of two 
fleshy oblong plano-convex cotyledons, the edges of which are turned towards the axis, 
and they are replete with numerous oil-cells and a great number of longitudinal white 
spiral fibres; the radicle is very small, nearly altogether embedded in the cotyledons, 
always points towards the hilum of the testa, and is either superior or inferior according 
to the direction of the seeds. "The leaves, every part of the inflorescence, the sepals and 
petals, as in Kippistia, are all filled with numerous spiral fibres. 
17. AMPHIZOMA. 
This genus embraces three species, natives of Brazil, the type of which was long ago 
described by Mr. Bentham, under the name of Anthodon? laxiflorus, which, from its 
very distinct habit, he rightly suspected would form a new genus. This plant, from the 
province of Pará, is distinguished by its opposite elongated pale leaves, suddenly at- 
tenuated at their summit, and an inflorescence several times dichotomously (or, rather, 
alternately) divided into very long, slender, nearly parallel ramifications, with a single 
bract at each articulation. The second species is from Central Brazil, collected by Sello. 
The third, from the province of Cuyabá, collected by Martius, is distinguished by its very 
VOL. XXVIII. 9L 
