﻿276 



MIERS ON THE LECYTHIDACE.E 



r 



limbo 12plo breviore: paniculis terminalibus, pauciramosis, folio triplo breyioribus 

 rachi fusca, angulata, rugulosa, geniculatim nodosa ; pedicellis tenuibus, imo arti 

 culatis, patentibus vel recurvis, calyce duplo longioribus ; sepalis ovatis, obtusis 



petalis 



semiinfero, distincte 2-loculari, loculis 



late expansis, brevissimis, multiovulatis, ovulis erectiusculis, vertice subdepresse 

 pulvinato, radiatim striolato ; stylo tereti, obtuso : pyxidio ad medium subturbinato, 

 imo subtmncatim rotundo et sulcatim 4-lobo, supra medium zona calycari irre- 

 gulariter annulata cincto; Titta interzonali angusta et acclivi; zona superiore 

 Integra; operculo orbiculari, depresse pulvinato, umbonato, infra concavo, septo 

 signato, cum velario brcvissimo descendente ; periearpio fusee suberoso et coriaceo, 

 lenticellis flavidis sparse maculato, 2-loculari, dissepimento permanente ; seminibus 

 10-14, subcylindricis, acute angulatis, apice truncatis, imo gradatim angustioribus, 

 ubi hilo basali biseriatim affixis. In Amazonas : v. 8. in hb. Sook., Eio Negro 

 [Wartius) ; fnict. mihi non viso. 



According to Von Hartius this is a tree 100 feet high, with a straight trunk 3 to 6 feet 

 in diameter, supported below by long projecting buttresses, growing on the banks of the 

 river Amazonas as far as Ega, and known by the name of Matamata. It is said to be of 

 lower stature "when growing in open plains; but this observation is applicable, with 

 greater probability, to either of the two following species. The axils of its branchlets are 

 ^-\\ in. apart ; the leaves are 5-7J in. long, 2-4 in. broad, on a petiole 3-5 lines lon^, 

 and have from 12-14 pairs of nerves, with others shorter and intermediate, all anasto- 

 mosing ; the rachis of its several racemes is 3-3J in. long, with prominent nodes 2 lines 

 apart ; the pedicels are 1 line long ; sepals 2-3 lines long ; petals 9 lines long, 7 lines 



l)road ; pyxidium (Plate LXI. fig. 1) is 2| in. long ; calycary zone 1| in. above base, 



4- 



3| in. in diam. ; interzonal band 3 lines high ; upper zone and operculum 2f in. in diam., 



latter 9 lines high, with a large terminal umbonate apex, hollow beneath; the pericarp 

 is 2 lines thick, with a membranaceous dissepiment; the seeds are 18 lines long, 6 lines 

 broad, 4-angular, the outer series dorsally roundish. This description of the fruit and 

 seeds is taken from Berg {I. c), and corresponds with that of the following species 

 examined by me. Its laminated inner bark, called Ustopa, is much used for caulkhag 

 ships, but is not equal in value to that of JBertholletia ; it fetches in the markets of Para 

 the price of l$-600 per arroba, or 15s. per cwt. Engl. 



. • • . ■ . . . 



2. JucASTRTJM OBTECTIJM, nob. : Zecythis, sp., Spruce in Hook. Kew Journ. v. p. 239, 



n. C8 : ramulis terctibus, substrictis, pallide brunneis, ruguloso-striatis, lenticellis 

 verruculosis ; foliis late ovatis, imo rotundate obtusis et in petiolum subito latiuscule 

 acutatis, apice in acumen acutum breve canaliculatum recurvum subito constrictis, 

 ad marginem tenuiter cartilagineum revolutum crenulatis vel in punctis obsoletis- 

 sime scrrulatis, supra subopacis, luride viridibus, in costa nervisque sulcatis, nervis 

 tenuibus parallelis omnino immersis, venis reticulatis, subtus pallidioribus, luride 

 bmnnescentibus et glauco-pruinosis, costa nervis venisque prominulis ; petiolo supra 

 piano, subtus corruguloso, limbo llplo breviore : inflorescentia ignota ; pyxidio sub- 



