﻿MR. J. MIERS ON THE LECYTHIDACEyE. 177 



good account, with an excellent figure, was afterwards contributed by Poiteau. Berg, 

 however, has created much perplexity by figuring a very different species, and con- 

 founding with it several other plants. It seems confined to Guiana ; for Burchell's 

 specimen from the vicinity of Para, from its paler leaves and different aspect, probably 

 belongs to some other species. It grows chiefly in the savannas, forming a tree 20-40 

 feet high, with a trunk 1 foot in diam., with thick branches; the leaves, approximated 

 at the end of the branches, are 10-18 in. long, 2|-4J in. broad, on a petiole J-| in. long, 



and with about 20 pairs of nerves : the peduncle, about | in. long, bears 2-4 pedicels 2 in. 



long, with 2 small opposite bracts in the middle : the flower expanded is 6 in. across ; 

 the larger petals are 2f in. long, IJ in. broad ; the cup of the androphorum is IJ in. 

 broad, the appendages of the outer row are 9 lines long, all converging to the centre ; 



anthers IJ lin. long, sublinear, 2-celled, opening by 2 pores at the apex and supported by 

 a short slender filament : the globular pyxidium, turbinate at base, truncated at the 

 summit, is 2^ in. in diam. in the middle : the interzonary band is about 1 line high, the 

 flat umbonated operculum is IJ in. in diam. ; the seeds are 1 in. long, f in. broad, 

 smooth, suspended by a twisting plicated fleshy funicle of nearly its length. 



Gaertner's drawing of the fruit probably belongs to some other species, as it is more 

 globular, deeply sulcated and subtorulose. Sagot's specimen also belongs 'to another 

 species, as the bracts are placed near the summit of the pedicel. 







2. GusTAViA SUPERBA, Bcrg in Linn, xxvii. 444 : Gustavia augtista, DC. (non Linn.) 



Prodr. iii. 289 : Gustavia angustifolia^ Seem, (non Bth.) Bot. Her. p. 126 : Gustavia 

 insif/nis, Hook. Bot. Mag. tab. 5069 : Firigara superba, H. B. K. vii. 262 : rnmulis 

 glabris, pallidis, striatis, cicatrisatis, fistulosis : foliis congestis, lanceolato-oblon 

 imo spathulato-cuneatis et fere sessilibus, apice acute acuminatis, remote ct argute 

 serratis, glaberrimis, translucenter submembranaceis, utrinquc pallidissimc viridibus 



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et opacis, nervis tenuibus, divaricatis, arcuatim nexis, prominulis, transversim valde 

 reticulatis, subtus costa nervisque stramineis prominentibus, petiole glabro, scmi- 

 tereti, lineatim marginato, limbo 9-lOplo breviore : racemo brevi, terminali, vol e 

 trunco nascente ; floribus purpurascentibus, odoriferis ; rachi petiolo paullo longiori ; 

 pedicellis alternatim congestis, puberulis, infra medium bracteolis 2 parvis imo 

 connatis munitis ; calycis limbo brevi, integro, vel obsolete 6-lobato et crenulato ; 

 petalis 8, oblongis, quorum 4 angustioribus, intus albis, extus rubescentibus, ungue 

 flavo ; androphoro albo ; ovario turbinate, ecostato, glabro, vertice depress o, relu- 

 tino : fructu flavo-viridi, eduli. In Kova Granada, prov. Carthagena, prope Tur- 



baco {Bonpland) : v. s. in herb. JEook. prov. Panama (Seemann,hl% Nova Granada 

 , {Barclay), Ecuador {Sinclair). 

 This is a well-marked species, easily recognized by its large membranaceous reticulated 

 leaves coarsely serrated on the margins, the inflorescence of fine handsome flowers 

 springing from the trunk. It grows near Carthagena, where it is known by the name 

 of MembriUo (Quince) from its edible fruit. It abounds in the inner parts of the 

 province of Panama, where it forms entire forests ; it is a tree 50 feet high, with a 

 durable scentless wood, used for building ; its branches are simple and erect, marked 



