﻿MR. J. MIERS ON THE LECYTHIDACE.E. 233 



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summo paullulo concavo, medio breviter umbonato, inferne concavo, dissepimentis 4 

 tenuibus diviso, cum velario late extrorsum expanso, ore multo latiore, et bine ad 

 maturitatem soluto, tamen inextricabili ; pericarpio subtenui pallida brunneo, rugu- 

 lose scrobiculato, 4-loculari, dissepimentis membranaceis persistentibus : seminibus 

 majusculis, in loculis solitariis, ovalibus, ventre subangnlatis, bilo basali affixis; 

 testa laeyi, fulva, pergaminea, raphe ventrali late loriformi flavida, cimi ejus ramis e 

 basi adscendentibus ; embryonis structura generis. In Brasilia: v.fr.s.inMus. 

 Brit, (sine locoV 



From this singular development of the fruit the operculum and seeds remain im- 

 prisoned after the period of maturity ; for though the velarium becomes detached from 

 the pericarp, the operculum, not being able to fall outward, is drawn inward by the 



desiccation of the dissepiments; except for this peculiarity there would be little to 



distinguish it from the fruit of C. cistella except its smaller vertex and more depressed 

 form. The pyxidium (Plate LVIII. figs. 3, 4) is 2 in. long, 2| in broad ; the calycary zone 

 is 1| in. in diam., and If in. above the base ; the interzonal band is J in. high ; the upper 

 wne 1\ in. in diam. ; the tightly fitting operculum is of the same diameter, and does 

 act rise above the zone, is slightly concave and nmbonate at the summit, is of thin 

 texture, concave below, with the thin dissepiments attached to it ; but its velarium expands 

 outwardly at a considerable a^ngle, and descends half an inch below the mouth, at first 

 attached to the pericarp ; but after maturity it there becomes detached, when by the 

 shrinking of the dissepiment the operculum is drawn inwards, as above explained ; the 



pericarp is about IJ line thick at the sides, # thick at the bottom, where it is suddenly 



swollen ; the seeds are IJ in. long, 1 in. broad 



5. Chtteoma cistella, nob. ; Lecythidis sp.. Spruce in Hook. Kew Journ. v. 239. 

 n. 69 : planta ignota : pyxidio poculiformi, imo globoso, longe supra medium zona 

 calycari sursum acutiuscula undulato-Hneari cincto ; vitta interzonali valde angusta, 

 suberecta ; zona superiore cireulari, Integra, inferiore vix minore ; operculo brevis- 

 simo, depresse pulviuato, late concavo, subtus concavo et 4-septato, sine columella, 

 cum velario dissepimentis continue longe intra faucem descendente; pericarpio 

 crasso, leviter lignoso, cortice tenuiter suberoso, rimoso, brunneo, granulate vel 

 scrobiculato-ruguloso, obsolete 4-loculari, intus imo cicatricibus hilorum signato. 

 n BrasUia, prov. Amazonas : v.f.s. in Mm. Kew. {Spruce, 69, 233). 



ere are 3 specimens of this fruit in the Kew Museum, which I have referred to this 

 HatT'LVT '''''''''''^ ""^ ^^^ cicatrices of the attachment of the seeds. It is shown on 

 3iam + +1 ' ^°^' ^' '^' ^^^^^ ^^® \i^i^hi from the base to the upper zone is 2J in. ; the 

 coatract , , ^^^' ^« ^ i^-» that of the calycary zone 2f in. : that of the upper zone 2„ 

 tte or. f ^^^ '''''^'* "^^^^^ t<^ a breadth of If in. ; the interzonary band is 3 lines high ; 

 ^tlun wl '' ^* '''■ ^^ ^i^«^- «^ly 2 lines high, depressed in the centre, hollow 

 PericarnT? ,- '* '', ^"'^^^^^^ "^^^h a velarium descending 5 Unes within the mouth ; the 



diamet 



I ^ f in. thick ; the mouth below the unper zone is If in. broad, the inner 



upper 



4 in. and its depth 1 1 in. It resembles the fruit of C. ScJiomhurgUamm in its 



