50 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST 



In New Caledonia; Pancher (157.) 



Branciilets rather robust. Leaf-stalkes 3-4 inches long, slender 

 but firm. Leaves scattered towards the summit of the 

 branciilets, measuring from 3^ to 7 inches, the closed sinus giving 

 to the basal part a peltate appearaiica. Bracts at the base of the 

 inflorescence glabrous, almost semioroicular, imbricate, deciduous. 

 Calj^ces about \ inch long, inside dark-color.;d when in a dry state; 

 lobes valvate before expansion. Anthers dorsifixed, sessile. Stigmas 

 of the strictly staminate flowers concealed or obliterated. Ovaries 

 of the strictly pistillate flowers depressed globularly cohering, as 

 well as the styles soon receding, surrounded at the base by 5-6 erect 

 sessile anthers. Fruit unknown. 



The reduction of the number of stamens and pistils separates-, 

 this species from all other genuine Sterculias, if indeed it belongs- 

 to that genus, whicli in the absencvi of fruit cannot be positively 

 affirmed. This plant further seems to prove, that a simple cyclic 

 arrangement of anthers, such as is normal for Heritiera, Cola and 

 Tetradia, is not of absolute generic value, our plant showing a slight 

 irregularity in the uniseriate disposition. Possibly this New, 

 Caledonian plant may turn out, to belong to the last-mentioned 

 genus, as in one genuine Stercidia also a four-cleft calyx normally 

 occurs, and as Wallich seems to have found in his Herietera clubia 

 also a foui-lobed calyx and 4 anthers. The pluriovulate pistils of 

 our plant however forbid its being placed into Heritiera, not to 

 speak of the difference of the indument, though Beddome noticed 

 also the ovaries of H. Papilio to be biovulate. 



Panclier's New Caledonian collection under 282 contains a plant, 

 which to all appearances represents a variety ol S. oliganthera\ it has 

 still larger leaves distinctly shining underneath and cleft to the 

 middle into five lobes, the basal sinus being shallow and open, while 

 the panicle consista of some spreading branches. 



Bracrychitox Carruthersii. 



Branciilets robust; leaves on long stalkes, orbicular-cordate, at their 

 upper portion three-lobed, radiatingly 5-7-nerved from the base, 

 above glabrescent, beneath sparsely star-hairy; panicles short, 

 spreading, croM'ded towards the summit of the braachlet?, brownish- 

 tomentose from close starry hair; stalklets somewhat shorter than, 

 the flowers or some much abbreviated; cal3'-x almost bellshaped, 

 fivc-lobod to near the middle, outside starry tomentose, inside dark- 

 coloured and throughout beset with soft crisp pale fascicled hair; 

 the lobes amply induplicated before expansion, stamina! columa 

 reaching hardly beyond the tube of the calyx, slender, surrounded, 

 above the base by a beard of white soft fascicular hair, otherwise' 

 glabrous; anthers capitular-crowded,' not numerous, each of the 

 five coherent sets terminated by a subulate appendage; stigmas five,' 

 thick, roundish; ovary white-velvety. " ' .*. ' 



